We took the Secretary’s advice and got the Company SUV fueled up for the thirteen-minute drive to Fair Oaks Mall and our closest Cheesecake Factory. That puts it comfortably inside the Fifteen Minute County, with two minutes left to find a parking space.

We did not spot any Administration figures on our entrance. Just a happy crowd of families and business folks conducting what they call “BD”—business development, or a means of combining market research with a lunch tab that Accounting will honor.

The expedition produced a useful reminder: The Cheesecake Factory serves considerably more than cheesecake. Vic went Korean with the bulgogi, working his way into a menu offering some 250 dishes. This could require several return visits.

Then there was the Original Cheesecake—a creamy foundation that can be jazzed up with fruit, chocolate, caramel or whatever the afternoon requires. The original makes a persuasive case for itself.

That is a look at the Brownie Crunch Choc-a-Lot Cheesecake, just to give some further reference points.

When the bill arrived, the burgers provided a reference point: about $25 apiece. That gave the Conference Table something concrete to discuss about the economy.

Operation Cheesecake had moved from architectural criticism to a practical investigation of lunch. We had done our part, with forks.

When we rolled back to the Trillium, there was still a little room in the golden afternoon—and a newly arrived, nicely produced edition of Pow Wow Chow waiting to be opened. We turned to the appetizers to see what the contributors had offered. These little gems were among the first things to catch our attention.

We had a ball making them, freeing some space in the fridge for the Halloween provisions coming up. Deviled eggs, given a golden fried finish: deviled and delicious.

The recipe’s original contributor deserves the credit, alongside Pow Wow Chow. The Galley supplied the afternoon enthusiasm—and handled the tasting!

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com