During winter in Michigan, with all that it is, we need constant reminders of warmth. I love sitting down to a nice bottle of velvety red wine next to the fire with friends in a cozy living room.
But this year, macaroni and cheese has grown on me. That’s funny because when I was a kid one of my “foodie” aunts, always trying to include the children in the adult food scene, tried spoiling me with “real” mac’n’cheese. A substitute, of course, for the standard Kraft kind – ick!
None of us ate it. In fact, can’t say I had eaten real mac’n’cheese since. Far be it from me, now a mature grown up, to actually order the dish at a restaurant.
Then I dropped into the Green Well one chilly fall evening. Their special? Mac’n’Cheese. My eyes glanced down at the dish description and read on. Then I saw the word…Orzo. That sounds good. I love orzo. Smoked chicken and bacon. Delish! Peas in the pod, caramelized onions, tomato, mushrooms, four cheeses and breadcrumbs. Holy smokes! This is mac’n’cheese I can eat! And I did. Then I personally begged them to add it to their winter menu. And they did.
I won’t share how many times I’ve had it since. But it’s definitely more than once. This is unique mac. And it’s a generous portion. So it’s $15.99 and worth every bite.
After my run in with the Green Well’s unique mac, I started wondering, “do other restaurants in town have mac’n’cheese?” I’ve seen it frequently as a side dish at a rib joint or on the kiddy menu. But what I realized this winter is that mac’n’cheese – perhaps the mother of all comfort foods – is served regularly at several of our more popular local eateries. It has been there the whole time, comforting people along during the chilly season.
I recently ventured into the The Chop House for a quick, light pre-opera meal, my mouth watering for “the wedge”, iceberg lettuce laden with bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese ($6.95). Mike, the sommelier, turned up next to me and I mentioned my quest for GR’s mac’n’cheese hot spots. He asked if I had tried theirs, which I hadn’t. I quickly changed my order to “baked 3 cheese macaroni with roasted poblano chiles” ($6.95).
It does not disappoint one bit. The pasta was done perfectly and each mouthful held a hint of a bite with the poblano and breadcrumbs atop. The cheese was smooth and just thick enough, a savory flavor after each bite. Thinking you can’t afford The Chop? I recommend sitting at the bar, ordering a glass of crisp, bright white wine, and pairing it with ‘the wedge.’ Share it with a friend to make an evening’s meal complete for a $14 food bill between the two of you.
The “Adult Mac’n’Cheese” at Marie Catrib’s, available from either the takeout case or dine-in menu, is a generous portion ($5.49 takeout) chock full of rotini noodles, spinach, cracked pepper, and breadcrumbs embedded in a heavy cream sauce. It flirts in your mouth between elegant and zesty, with playful rotini noodles, not those elbows macaroni. Easily reheated, this is a great pick-up when you promised to bring a side dish to a dinner party and forgot, or an easy dinner upon throwing in a handful of chicken. You can’t lose here!
Making Thyme Kitchen is a newer concept and storefront on Cherry Street. They actually make meals for you and their entire menu is online – all you do is heat and eat! They run the gamut of meals from fun to elegant, all freezer happy, and they sell it to you in takeout servings for 1, 2, 4, 8 or custom pan size for a great party.
Owners Ken and Karen Bryan make up a more traditional mac’n’cheese. The recipe begins with your traditional elbow macaroni, a blend of extra sharp cheddar, provolone, and mozzarella cheese, and in 2 percent milk, ground mustard seed, garlic, and a touch of cayenne. Top with buttered bread crumbs and, voila, ready to bake.
Making Thyme Kitchen is in a great spot for stopping when life is too hectic for cooking, and if life is always too hectic for cooking, you can simply place an order and they’ll deliver that mac’n’cheese right to your house!
If you have a favorite mac’n’cheese dish that you just can’t stay away from, let me know. Maybe next winter we’ll follow up with an expanded list.
Amy Ruis owns and operates Art of the Table, a specialty food, beverage, and tabletop retail store in the Wealthy Street Business District. You can reach her at
[email protected].
Photos:
Adult mac' n' cheese from Marie Catrib's
The Green Well Gastro Pub's version of mac' n' cheese
The Green Well Gastro Pub's mac close up
Marie Catrib's
Photographs by Brian Kelly (who really enjoyed eating and shooting this feature!)
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