You don't need to live in New York to find really good food.

Cheesecake Factory has got to be the single most overrated restaurant on the planet. I remember the first time I took a New York friend of mine to the Plaza in Kansas City and saw people waiting for hours to get a table at the Cheesecake Factory. I felt like I had to apologize for the lack of sophistication of the Kansas City palate when I saw that, but he said "Dude, it's the same way in New York. For reasons unknown to me, people love that place."

Don't get me wrong: I've eaten meals at the Cheesecake Factory in Denver and enjoyed it. (It was directly across the street from my apartment.) But I'd never wait more than...I don't know...about 8 seconds for a table there. The catch is that you either need to go in very hungry or you need to order something that travels well so you can eat half of it later.

There's good barbecue at DFW? Someone from Kansas City moved down there and opened a restaurant? Cool!!