The cheesecake represented the restaurant at the first Taste of Chicago in 1980 .
Cheesecake eventually became the festival 's most popular dessert , with about 2 million slices sold as of 2005 .
The cheesecake represented the restaurant at the first Taste of Chicago in 1980 , and it eventually became the festival 's most popular dessert , with about 2 million slices sold as of 2005 .