Time Out! Mac & Cheese Please!
Because there are so many variations on macaroni and cheese...and because it's delicious, I decided to keep notes on each of the offerings at Time Out Chicago's Mac & Cheese Smackdown held on May 21, 2017 at Bridgeport Art Center. Go, eat, and comment your agreements and disagreements!
Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine
Pimento Cheese Macaroni Salad - Not a favorite for me, but I am not a fan of A. cold foods B. macaroni salad C. pimento cheese.
Someone cooking this macaroni and cheese hails from the South. Not the South side. THE SOUTH! This delicious option, my hands down favorite, took my mind to the dinner tables of my mom's side of the family from Mississippi with it's creamy, yet sharp, smokey flavor. This, for me, is mac & cheese!
Old Town Social cooked up something a little different. A macaroni and cheese pie! That's right...PIE. I wasn't sure how I'd like the cheesy treat encrusted in flaky dough and drizzled with a caramel bacon sauce, but... IT WAS AMAZING! The sweet and savory blend was delicious.
New Line Tavern scored big points with me for being the only restaurant to present a mac & cheese bar! The choice of toppings including bacon, bread crumbs, more cheeses, and a delicious smoky hot sauce. The mac and cheese on it's own, was tasty, but the toppings lead to this one being a favorite!
This restaurant is in my neighborhood, and while I LOVE going on Tuesday nights for their fried chicken deal, I was not so impressed with the mac & cheese. Points for ham and peas included in the pasta mix, but it was very bland. I'm used to very flavorful offerings from R Public House, and was sadly disappointed this time. But, that won't stop me from going in for a Big Girl and some chicken sometime soon!
Do you like pepper? I LOVE pepper! I grew up in a household that used very little salt, so pepper is my basic seasoning of choice. And Luella's BROUGHT the pepper. I was so excited to try the braised short rib mac and cheese they offered (complete with adorable kids serving up the portions), and I was beyond satisfied. SO much flavor in the thick rue!
Nothing against The Pasta Bowl, but their pasta was not quite as memorable as the two awesome ladies serving up helpings. I do remember liking the addition of broccoli and that childhood Niki, would have named this the ultimate mac & cheese hands down for it's simple, broccoli hiding flavor. Customer service counts big here!
This pasta was grand. It was lux. It was the cheesiest offering of the bunch. SO creamy. However, my seasoned palate craved a little bit more dimension than just cheese and bacon. I'm not sure if the restaurant offers up topics that would cut through the cheese other than bacon, but that would definitely lend to me enjoying it a bit more.
In addition to the mac & cheese, the event featured beer from Forbidden Root. The ginger, root beer, and wheat options worked well to cut down on some of the cheese flavor. DJ Windy Timmy kept the party fun with genre-snapping hits. The minimalist wooden fixtures of the Bridgeport Art Center allowed for a nice atmosphere with the open windows of one of Chicago's first perfect temperature days.
![IMG_9759[1].JPG](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55a2bf54e4b0796a90fbfba9/1496262061271-UAT3PLK8ZG198RKGI8Y3/IMG_9759%5B1%5D.JPG)
Join Time Out Chicago next for their Sunset Sail Happy Hour available for dates throughout the summer.
