Reviewing KC’s new restaurants

The Cheesecake Factory

What once began in a Detroit kitchen selling cheesecakes to local restaurants has expanded all across the country, leading to one of Overland Park’s newest sensations.

Opening Kansas City’s second location in early July—the first is on the Country Club Plaza—the Cheesecake Factory offers welcome and exciting diversity to an area filled with square, suburban buildings.

The unique exterior follows you into a lavish decor with French limestone floors and decorative columns. The weeks-old walls are styled in a historic tone, as “cracks” in the plaster and off-color patches transport you to the quaint setting of an early nineteenth century European city.

Immense dining areas are second in size only to the large portions of superb food. With over 200 menu selections to choose from, there’s a taste for every palate.

For appetizers, the hot spinach dip and popcorn shrimp are a way to start any meal off right.

Then, choose from an assortment of burgers, stakes, pasta, chicken, or seafood. All of the dishes we tried were excellent. The filet mignon was tender and flavorful, cooked just right, and the slab of ribs gives stiff competition to even KC’s best barbeque restaurants.

Now, we turned to the restaurant’s namesake: dessert. The menu features over 35 different cheesecakes, from original to chocolate Oreo mudslide. A chocolate lover’s paradise, the Godiva chocolate cheesecake is a must-try. Soft and fluffy, it is unique. There is also apple crisp, strawberry shortcake, and other traditional desserts.

Though open just a short time, the staff is extensively trained. Our server, Matthew Leftridge, was an expert on the menu and made excellent suggestions. Further, he made sure we were taken care of, attending to every detail in a friendly, concerned manner.

Whether you’re out for lunch with friends or spending dinner with family, the Cheesecake Factory provides a great upscale dining experience.

Cinzetti’s Italian Market

Within seconds of entering Cinzetti’s recreation of a centuries old Tuscan Villa, it’s easy to see this isn’t your ordinary restaurant.

The fountain just outside the doors begins your sensory experience before you even enter. Once inside, you are seated within one of five unique dining rooms.

An indoor waterfall runs softly in the background, creating an intimate, yet relaxed setting.

Upon entering this Italian escape, each patron is given a tour before being seated. This is because of the one-price concept—you can choose as many items as you want from fourteen different specialty cooking stations where chefs are preparing up to 80 fresh Italian dishes right before your very eyes, all for your sampling.

With a slogan of “Mangia Tutto [Have it all],” patrons are invited to “explore the various regions of Italy” and experience the flavors of as many items as they choose, as often as they like.

Every dish is prepared from scratch in the kitchen, with everything from appetizers to desserts laid out in an elegant setting.

The diverse options mean there’s something that everyone will love. Certain must-try dishes are marked with vivid red exclamation marks, to make sure that you don’t overlook them.

The house salad is one such item. With bacon bits, cheese, and a house dressing, this salad is one of the best I’ve had. Overall, there was scarcely a dish I would overlook on a return trip.

For pasta, there was everything from traditional spaghetti and meatballs to authentic Rigatone Bolognese and fettuccini in cream sauce. This variety was present in every one of the stations. The pizza was of the caliber you’d expect from an Italian restaurant.

Make sure not to miss the chicken marsala, another featured dish. The eggplant parmesean and garlic mashed potatoes make the parmesean station a necessary stop.

When you’re ready for dessert, an array of choices is placed before you. There are 12 flavors of hand-dipped gelato, cannolis, tiramisu, plus too many others to mention here.

Though the food is self-service from the assortment of cooking stations, don’t worry that you won’t be taken care of: the servers make sure your every need is met. They take drink orders and clear plates between rounds, quickly and professionally.

After several months of participating in the operating of the Kansas City location, manager Mike Grann is excited. “We’re really happy to be here,” the 23-year old said. “I’ve been in this business since I was 15 and I think our concept is very unique.”

With options from calamari to fried cheese sticks, everyone is sure to find a favorite in an ambiance resembling Las Vegas elegance, proving that Cinzetti’s isn’t your typical Kansas City establishment.