or out to dinner, take your choice.

Going out to eat is a real treat. With everyone going out of town this week and me staying in away from Summer's heat, we decided to go to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.

So the dining experience begins...

I ordered the appetizer chopped salad. It is really a meal for three, portions are so big. I am looking forward to taking at least half of it home.

I love this salad with its bleu cheese, apples, walnuts and avocados. I like bacon, just not on my salad.

When served, my waitress makes sure to let me know she put the order in correctly.

On the first bite, I knew it had bacon but I thought I was paranoid. On the third bite, I got a huge piece of bacon so I send the order back.

No problem, just a mistake.

She comes back and says, "The chef looked through your salad, he says there are no bacon bits and he had me bring it back."

Huh?

After I pick up my jaw from the table, I just told her to take it off my bill. If the chef thought there was no bacon in it, he was welcome to eat it.

She calls in the manager. I tell him it was crazy to serve the same salad and tell me I did not taste the bacon.

Seriously, I had only eaten THREE bites. I sent back the whole thing, really.

I had thought the manager would throw in a dessert. No offer.

Now for dessert. We are at the Cheesecake Factory. CHEESECAKE! My DD and I are splitting a Cookie Dough cheesecake and DH wants a little carrot cake.

The carrot cake comes with so much whipped cream that I ask for a plate to scrape it off. I love whipped cream so I plan to eat some of it.

(I am splurging, we are out to eat, spending $$$)

Our waitress seems to be taking a lot of time. This causes me to look around in search of her.

We are sitting with a perfect view of the waiter/waitress station. I see her talking, I think she may have forgotten I wanted a plate.

She has a plate in hand and with her FINGERNAILS she is scraping the plate to take off hardened food bits. Then she clutches the plate to her chest.

DH has his back to the scene. DD is seeing it happen. I laugh and say that I sure do hope she is not going to bring that plate to my table.

She did! Dried food, fingernails and her shirt on that plate!!!

If I was a food critic, this place would get an F!!!