It's hard not to like these creamy desserts

Special to The Detroit News
Judith Harris Solomon
What does cheesecake have to do with the 4th of July?
Well, first of all, the concept of cheesecake dates back to second century B.C. Rome -- and like our Revolutionary War soldiers, those Romans certainly knew a thing or two about fighting for independence from their enemies.
Second, cheesecake is a dessert that's easy to make patriotic looking. Just decorate the top with a combination of glazed blueberries and either raspberries or strawberries. Then add a generous dollop of whipped cream and you've got the red, white and blue part covered.
But any way you slice or serve it, our panelists all love cheesecake.
For Chili Joe Wnuk and Lesia Golden, this particular dessert brings back fond memories from their childhood.
"When I was young, my father used to buy the Sara Lee ones in the tins," Wnuk says. "They cost about 25 cents then. My dad used to hide them so we kids didn't get up in the middle of the night and eat them up."
Says Lesia Golden: "My two younger sisters and I used to sit at our dining room table, eat cheesecake and talk about men and dates. For some reason, cheesecake was always a part of these conversations, never any other food or dessert."
Even though all cheesecakes have fillings made of cream cheese, eggs, sugar and flour, there are many variations.
Of the six samples we tasted, some were very creamy, others were a drier consistency. The one from Achatz Handmade Pie Co. had a graham cracker crust the one from Say Cheese, a graham cracker and crushed almond crust. The cheesecake from the Palm restaurant had no crust at all while the remaining three had pastry crusts.
While the panel thought all the candidates were delicious, in the end the one from the Cheesecake Shoppe in St. Clair Shores edged out the other contenders.
In a blind sampling, The Detroit News Taste panel rated the following cheesecakes on taste, texture and appearance on a score of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
1. The Cheesecake Shoppe Original Cheesecake (23409 Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores, 586-773-2090)
Average score: 4.4
Price: $2 per slice $9.25 per 7-inch diameter cake
Comments: Wonderful flavor -- this is the creamiest of the group. It melts it my mouth and leaves a happy aftertaste. Light and fluffy. Perfect amount of sugar. A good rich flavor, thick and smooth. Very sweet and very creamy. Too thick.
2. Achatz Handmade Pie Co. New York Style Cheesecake (Troy, Oxford and Armada)
Average score: 4.2
Price: About $3.50 per slice about $12 per 8-inch diameter cake (it's priced per pound)
Comments: Filling is creamy and not too rich. Creamy and cheesy. Very smooth and light. The crust is excellent -- I'd buy this just for the crust. Buttery tasting. A little dry.
3. S &amp S New York Style Cheesecake from Bronx, New York (Palm Restaurant, 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 248-813-7256.)
Average score: 4.0
Price: $6 per slice
Comments: Great tasting! Another winner with great vanilla flavor. Creamy texture. Light and fluffy, not too sweet and a perfect blend of flavors. A little dry.
4 (TIE) Eli's Original Cheesecake from Chicago (Papa Joe's Gourmet Markets: Rochester and Birmingham)
Average score: 3.7
Price: $3.95 per slice $49.95 per 10-inch diameter cake
Comments: Nice, smooth creamy texture. Nice balance of sweetness and richness. I taste cream or butter more than any other ingredients. Too much butter. Good crust. Needs to be sweeter.
4. (TIE) Say Cheese Original Cheesecake (416 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor, 734-994-5163)
Average score: 3.7
Price: $15 per 7-inch diameter cake
Comments: Creamy, smooth and not so sweet. A wonderful unique crust -- almost like various crushed nuts. A little tart. Low on sweetness.
6. Carnegie Deli Cheesecake from New York (Steve's Deli, 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills. 248-932-0800)
Average score: 3.5
Price: $3.50 per slice $50 per 12-inch diameter cake
Comments: Nice rich flavor and pastry tastes great. Incredibly creamy but not as sweet as the others. Pieces are nice and tall. I can really taste the cream cheese to the point that it's overpowering the other flavors. Tastes undercooked -- kind of raw.

While the panel thought all the candidates were delicious, the Cheesecake Shoppe's offering proved victorious.
Guest panelists: Husband and wife Jim and Leslie Buchanan live in Redford Township. She works in the automotive field; he's a computer engineer.