But if yesterday was any indication, the shopping center has chosen landscaping as one of their budget cuts. Only about a third of the planters were being tended. The people watching wasn't all that great either. I didn't end up taking any pictures at the shopping center. Though I must admit a large part of the reason was me being self-conscious.
After roaming the shopping center, we headed over to the Rodin sculpture garden at Stanford University. The sun was beginning to set when we got there, which is usually my favorite time to photograph, but unfortunately, the sun had already passed the sculptures. I did manage to get a few of The Gates of Hell in the sun though.
We wrapped up the evening with a splurge at The Cheesecake Factory on University Avenue. (Thanks for the gift card, J&B) It was the first time I'd been to a Cheesecake Factory and I must say I was overwhelmed—the menu was enormous (so much so that they actually sell advertising space, every recto was menu items and every verso was a full-page ad. Actually quite off-putting) and it didn't seem like they quite knew what they wanted to be.
There were southern-style soul food items, and pastas, and pizzas, and seared ahis, and of course cheesecake. Which I guess is good for appealing to a wide dining audience, but it makes me somewhat apprehensive and makes actually deciding what to order (an always difficult task for me) very time-consuming. Once I got over the whole menu thing and made a choice, I enjoyed the night out. I ended up ordering a chicken cashew salad, and of course cheesecake. Chocolate raspberry truffle, to be exact.
Here are some of my favorite shots from the day:
And of course, the cheesecake:
I have to admit my dining experiences at The CHeesecake Factory have not been impressive. I find they do cheesecake wonderfully well, but I don't like their other items. I also have to say I have never been disappointed with any cheesecake we've tried. YUM!
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