McMullen - Giving Thanks With Cheesecake

Catalog Critic:
WEEKEND JOURNAL
Catalog Critic: Giving Thanks, With Cheesecake
By Troy McMullen
1,335 words
10 November 2006
The Wall Street Journal
J
W11C
English
(Copyright (c) 2006, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
AMERICANS MAY be trying to cut back on desserts -- but for the holidays, many people apparently make an
exception.
This season, bakeries and retailers are pushing cheesecakes. Cheese Cake City, a Berkeley, Calif., company
that owns retailer 800cheesecake.com, says holiday sales have increased in the double digits for each of the past
three years. The company has two new holiday cheesecakes, including a cranberry-orange version with toasted
almonds. Junior's Restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y., a family-owned operation started in 1950, recently added 12 new
flavors of cheesecake to its mail-order menu. New this month: Christmas Swirl, decorated with red-and-green
chips and a Christmas-tree pattern.
Eli's Cheesecake Co. in Chicago, which bakes as many as 20,000 cheesecakes a day for restaurants and hotels,
says sales generally increase about 15% in November and about 30% in December, compared with earlier
months.
But making a truly tasty cheesecake is a tricky feat -- never mind shipping it by mail safely. With Thanksgiving
less than two weeks away, we ordered a round of plain cheesecakes and had them sent overnight to our New
York office. That suddenly made us very popular, as a number of colleagues volunteered to serve as judges. We
also enlisted David Lugo, executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel New York, to provide an expert opinion.
For the test, we stuck with traditional plain cheesecakes to keep the playing field level. That meant we had to
bounce one entry from the competition: a New York-style cake we ordered from Artisanal Premium Cheese in
New York, which just started mail-order delivery. (The cheesecake, for $30 at artisanalcheese.com, was a big hit
with the panel, but its buttery, pecan-shortbread crust and pecan praline crunch topping was far from plain.)
To our surprise, all the cheesecakes arrived on time and in pretty good shape, with no cracks or dents.
Cheesecakes have a tendency to crack during cooling -- and in previous tests of cakes and pies, some shipments
came caved in or falling apart. But arriving intact didn't make all of the cheesecakes tasty.
None of our tasters liked the $24.60 cheesecake from 800Cheesecake.com. One judge derided its dry crust,
while another likened the sweet, lemony flavor to cotton candy. On the $42 cheesecake from Miss Grimble, most
found its mousse-like consistency too soft and gooey. Eileen's Special Cheesecake entry scored points for its
moist graham-cracker crust, and for arriving with a cute white plastic server. Still, some judges found the fluffy
texture of this $60 cake too tart and not very traditional. Though Mr. Lugo liked the overall taste, he said the cake
lacked a classic cheesecake consistency.
Cooks have long been refining their recipes. Americans have baked cheesecakes since at least the early 1800s,
and the dessert's popularity grew later that century, following the introduction of pasteurized and cream cheeses.
These days, the definition of traditional can vary. The popular New York style, with a cream-cheese base,
typically has a firm, smooth consistency. Italian-style cakes are also smooth but often fluffier, incorporating ricotta
or mascarpone cheese. Some versions add a bit more vanilla; others rely on a lemony flavor.
Page 1 of 3 © 2019 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved.
Though the best-tasting cheesecake is a personal choice, Mr. Lugo named several factors that separate the
good from the mediocre: a firm outside, a creamy interior and a balanced flavor. With that in mind, the
cheesecakes from Eli's and Junior's rated the highest.
Eli's cake cost $28 and came presliced and frozen. (Thawing was simple: three hours at room temperature or
overnight in the refrigerator.) Mr. Lugo liked the rich, firm consistency and the moist texture. He thought the
lemony taste could be too tangy, and some of our colleagues agreed. "Too tart," said one after a bite. The chef
also wasn't crazy about the idea of a frozen cheesecake -- he worried that some hosts may serve the cake
before it properly thawed -- but didn't think freezing affected the taste of Eli's cake, with a shortbread-cookie
crust.
Everyone was happiest with the fresh cheesecake from Junior's. Tall and slightly bronzed, it was creamier and
less crumbly than the others we tried. Junior's uses a thin, sponge-cake bottom that was a nice departure from
the drier graham-cracker crusts. Mr. Lugo especially liked the dense, rich consistency. It's Best Overall, and at
$27.95, Best Value as well. Sorry, calorie counters: The box didn't include any nutritional information -- but some
things may be better left unknown.
---
STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Junior's Restaurant Plain, $27.95, 800-458-6467,

juniorscheesecake.com
QUALITY: Best Overall, Best Value. Tasty, dense dessert,
with a
sponge-cake crust, was the closest to a classic.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: Overnight shipping costs $20. Our order arrived on the
appointed day.
RETURN POLICY: Unsatisfied customers can ask for replacement or refund.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: Very good. Phone rep was informed and careful to
highlight the shipping options.
COMMENT: Company is adding 12 more cheesecake flavors (devil's food,
carrot cake) for the holidays. Price of a plain cheesecake will rise to
$29.95.
STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Eli's Cheesecake Company, Original plain, $28,

800-354-2253, elicheesecake.com
QUALITY: Rich filling, dense texture and shortbread crust rated highly,
though some found the flavor too tangy.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: Overnight shipping costs $21. Our order arrived on
time.
RETURN POLICY: Company will refund or replace cakes within five business
days if a problem arises.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: Very helpful. Site is easy to navigate. Phone rep
was polite and pointed out how long it would take to defrost the cake.
COMMENT: President Marc Schulman says the recipe -- developed by his dad
in the 1970s -- uses sour cream, adding tanginess. "It's what makes our
cakes unique," he says.
STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Eileen's Special Cheesecake, Plain cheesecake, $60,

800-521-2253, eileenscheesecake.com
QUALITY: Purists didn't like the lighter consistency of this 10-inch cake;
Mr. Lugo gave its graham-cracker crust high marks.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: Shipping is included in the price. Cake arrived on the
appointed day, with a plastic server.
RETURN POLICY: For replacement or refund if unhappy. But owner Eileen
Avezzano says, "We've had very few unhappy customers."
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: No-frills Web site doesn't offer much product info,
but it's easy to navigate.
COMMENT: Ms. Avezzano says the fluffiness partly comes from separating the
egg whites from the yolks. (It doesn't have any fewer calories than a denser
cake, though.)

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Miss Grimble, Classic vanilla, $42, 718-665-2253,
missgrimble.com
QUALITY: Mr. Lugo found cake and graham cracker crust tasty, though some
judges called it "mushy."
SHIPPING COST/TIME: New York retailer only ships by two-day delivery, for
$38. Our cake arrived on time.
RETURN POLICY: No formal policy, but company will replace any cake that
arrives damaged.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: The firm isn't taking online orders. Phone rep was
curt but competent. Colorful Web site has helpful product info.
COMMENT: Company, founded in 1901, carries other varieties of cheesecake.
Owner Errol Bier says the consistency is partly due to sour cream in the
recipe.
STORE/PRICE/PHONE: 800Cheesecake.com, New York style cheesecake, $24.60,

800-243-3732
QUALITY: Tasters likened the filling's flavor to cotton candy and the
graham-cracker crust to cardboard.
SHIPPING COST/TIME: Overnight shipping costs $21.35. Our order arrived on
the appointed day.
RETURN POLICY: If unsatisfied, for replacement or refund.
PHONE/WEB EXPERIENCE: Web site gives plenty of details on products and
shipping. Company has been shipping mail-order cakes since 1989.
COMMENT: President Steve Zwetsch says company uses all natural
ingredients, but sometimes the smaller cakes can be "overcooked." Three- and
four-pound versions are available.
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Catalog Critic:

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Junior's Restaurant Plain, $27.95, 800-458-6467,

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Eli's Cheesecake Company, Original plain, $28,

STORE/PRICE/PHONE: Eileen's Special Cheesecake, Plain cheesecake, $60,

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STORE/PRICE/PHONE: 800Cheesecake.com, New York style cheesecake, $24.60,

License this article from Dow Jones Reprint Service

Text Giving Thanks, With Cheesecake

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