Omnivore Atlanta

YUM/YIKES: Good news and bad news for The Cheesecake Factory this month.

The Cheesecake Factory has shown up on two interesting lists this month: the 2009 Zagat Fast-Food Survey and the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s 2009 Xtreme Eating Awards.

The Zagat reader feedback survey gives Cheesecake Factory the top spot in five out of 11 categories under the “Full-Service Chains” section (a sweep of almost 50 percent!). The restaurant wins in Best Salads, Best Coffee, Best Appetizers, Best Desserts, and Best Value.

Cheesecake Factory also takes it home in three out of nine categories in the Xtreme Eating Awards, but this recognition is of a different sort. The CSPI is on the lookout for the most fattening, most caloric meals available. The Cheesecake Factory wins for its over three day’s of recommended saturated fat in their Fried Macaroni and Cheese, for the 2,500 calories in their Chicken and Biscuits, and for the three day supply of sodium in the Philly Style Charbroiled Flat Iron Steak with fries.

The Cheesecake Factory has four locations in Atlanta.

(Photo by TriviaKing via Wikimedia Commons)

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Zagat has released its 2009 guide to the country’s best restaurants. You can find its Atlanta listings on the popular guide’s site.

Zagat’s polling of readers turned up a lot of interesting information about dining out during the present economic downturn (a.k.a.”recession”). Among the findings:

Service and Tipping: If restaurants want a remedy for the slowing economy, they should teach their staffs to be nicer. When asked what irritates them the most when dining out, a staggering 68% of surveyors said service. Noise/crowds (13%), prices (6%) and food (6%) complaints follow. Despite poor service, diners in recent years have become increasingly generous. The nationwide average tip is now 19%, having inched up from approximately 17% ten years ago.

For the full story about Zagat’s findings on dining habits, go here.

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Zagat has released details of its most recent survey of Atlanta restaurants. There are no surprises:

In keeping with tradition, Atlanta surveyors named Bacchanalia as the Top Food winner this year — an accolade the restaurant has earned in every Zagat survey since 1996. Also familiar to the top five, Quinones Room, Rathbun’s, the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead Dining Room and Aria. Quinones Room took bragging rights for Top Service, while Bacchanalia, The Dining Room, Bone’s and Park 75 came in just behind. As for Decor, Nan Thai won top honors with Quinones Room coming second, The Dining Room, Canoe and Restaurant Eugene followed in order.

The survey also reports the influx of celebrity chefs here and the trend to go “green.” Like the rest of the country, Atlantans’ most popular cuisine is Italian.

Read a summary here.

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