This was the smallest meeting yet, it was just me, Debra, Claire, and Joon. It also happened several weeks ago that I can't remember the date off the top of my head. This is the second opportunity for El Camino Real to prove itself to me. The mac n' cheese that was served had jalapeno bread crumbs on top. The mac n' cheese came out in the cutest little pot and was pipin' hot. The sauce was creamy and the macaroni wasn't actually macaroni, I believe it was spirals. It was definitely not baked and had the signs of the broiler. There may have been too much of it because, it started to become tedious to eat and lacked flavor towards the end. I recommend eating the first half of it with the breadcrumbs. I'm not sure there is anymore that appealed to me about the mac n' cheese.
I did give the seitan bbq wings a try and they were amazing. I also was super impressed with the celery that came with them, weird I know.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Oh....
I need to edit that last blog and type up our most recent adventure at El Camino Real. Hold your horses....
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Darling's Diner
I headed to Darling's Diner with some friends and members late on a Saturday night after Riot Fest East.
I chose Harry's mac n' cheese and it was pretty relish. There were the normal tell tale signs of the broiler burning the top breadcrumbs a bit otherwise, it was a reminder of comfort food. It was cheesy without being overly cheesy and not dry at all. Although, there was a slight displeasure on my face when I managed to make it to the bottom of the bowl and there was a hunk of mac n' cheese adhered to the bottom. I pried it off and still ate it, I don't know if that's a testament of how good it was or how hungry I was.
I chose Harry's mac n' cheese and it was pretty relish. There were the normal tell tale signs of the broiler burning the top breadcrumbs a bit otherwise, it was a reminder of comfort food. It was cheesy without being overly cheesy and not dry at all. Although, there was a slight displeasure on my face when I managed to make it to the bottom of the bowl and there was a hunk of mac n' cheese adhered to the bottom. I pried it off and still ate it, I don't know if that's a testament of how good it was or how hungry I was.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Mad Mac's
7/27/2011
Mad Mac's
801 South College Ave.
Newark, DE
Society members present:
Me
Dierolf
Dierolf and I were planning on going here for quite awhile, since June maybe May. They are located in Delaware which is kind of a hike for someone to travel just for mac n' cheese but, we are adventurers! We had a lunch date!
Mad Mac's is a hard place to spot because, it is actually located within another restaurant/bar called Matilda's. Which to me is kind of weird but, whatevs...There were a few people around for lunch and the decor was very college bar because, Newark is a college town. Luckily, at lunch they offer smaller and cheaper priced mac n' cheese, a mini size. I was surprised when the mini, lunch sized mac n' cheese appeared, it was actually a pretty decent size. If you hadn't fasted a little before (like I did) this one would be fine but, I ordered two different kinds of mac n' cheese. I ordered the four cheese and the pizza mac (without any toppings). The four cheese was pretty amazing and incredibly cheesy. It was almost like they just took a whole 8oz. bag of four cheese from the grocery store and made it with that. There were the tell tale signs of the broiler but, it wasn't horribly noticeable like at some other places. The pizza mac reminded me of baked ziti, it probably would've been better if I had gotten a topping in it. What do I know? I managed to eat half of each serving and had some to go. Oh...leftovers. I had tasted some of Dierolf's mac n' cheese, she ordered the portobello mushroom version. It definitely tasted like it was made with alfredo sauce, that was probably the goat cheese talking.
The service was really good and our waitress got a great tip. She was on top of refilling and the food came out hot. The only thing that I was disappointed about was their website wasn't updated. I was getting psyched to try their "Mac of the Month", Mac Mykanos. It was supposedly made with goat cheese, spinach, kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Seriously, my mouth is watering right now. It was a lie, they had some meat filled mac n' cheese as their option. Shame...
I would definitely recommend making the trip to check out the mac n' cheese! Thanks to Dierolf for the info and company.
Mad Mac's
801 South College Ave.
Newark, DE
Society members present:
Me
Dierolf
Dierolf and I were planning on going here for quite awhile, since June maybe May. They are located in Delaware which is kind of a hike for someone to travel just for mac n' cheese but, we are adventurers! We had a lunch date!
Mad Mac's is a hard place to spot because, it is actually located within another restaurant/bar called Matilda's. Which to me is kind of weird but, whatevs...There were a few people around for lunch and the decor was very college bar because, Newark is a college town. Luckily, at lunch they offer smaller and cheaper priced mac n' cheese, a mini size. I was surprised when the mini, lunch sized mac n' cheese appeared, it was actually a pretty decent size. If you hadn't fasted a little before (like I did) this one would be fine but, I ordered two different kinds of mac n' cheese. I ordered the four cheese and the pizza mac (without any toppings). The four cheese was pretty amazing and incredibly cheesy. It was almost like they just took a whole 8oz. bag of four cheese from the grocery store and made it with that. There were the tell tale signs of the broiler but, it wasn't horribly noticeable like at some other places. The pizza mac reminded me of baked ziti, it probably would've been better if I had gotten a topping in it. What do I know? I managed to eat half of each serving and had some to go. Oh...leftovers. I had tasted some of Dierolf's mac n' cheese, she ordered the portobello mushroom version. It definitely tasted like it was made with alfredo sauce, that was probably the goat cheese talking.
The service was really good and our waitress got a great tip. She was on top of refilling and the food came out hot. The only thing that I was disappointed about was their website wasn't updated. I was getting psyched to try their "Mac of the Month", Mac Mykanos. It was supposedly made with goat cheese, spinach, kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Seriously, my mouth is watering right now. It was a lie, they had some meat filled mac n' cheese as their option. Shame...
I would definitely recommend making the trip to check out the mac n' cheese! Thanks to Dierolf for the info and company.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Meeting #5
Delilah's @ The Reading Terminal
7/24/2011
Society members present:
Me
Crystal (Her first meeting!)
Maureen
Debra
I decided on Delilah's (often confused with the strip club around here) because, Oprah had proclaimed it the best mac n' cheese back in 2007. I was willing to challenge Oprah on this one but, it was the closest to homemade mac n' cheese so far. I also chose Delilah's because I didn't have to call ahead to make a pseudo reservation, you just show up and order, and find a table in the Market. Luckily, Delilah's has a nice large communal table next to their space.
It was nice to have such a small group, especially after a long night of imbibing in spirits and hilarity. I totally forgot my notebook to write in and I didn't ask for anyone else to write their opinions.
We met at Delilah's, which is a small stand in Reading Terminal. They had three people working, one cooking, one dishing out food into take out containers, and one taking money. It was a simple set up and the food looked delicious. I ordered a large mac n' cheese, which the dude scooped out and crammed into a styrofoam container. They pack it full for the $10.80 price tag. There are breadcrumbs, which would not compliment the serving style. I dug in once I was seated and it was so, so delicious. The most creamy, cheesy straight up mac n' cheese I have wrapped my lips around. I didn't need to add salt, I didn't complain about the cheese. It was awesome. I ate the entire container and probably could've ate another. The overall consensus was that it was delicious mac n' cheese. The members who went to other meetings agreed it was the best so far.
I highly recommend visiting Delilah's at Reading Terminal and ordering a large container of mac n' cheese.
7/24/2011
Society members present:
Me
Crystal (Her first meeting!)
Maureen
Debra
I decided on Delilah's (often confused with the strip club around here) because, Oprah had proclaimed it the best mac n' cheese back in 2007. I was willing to challenge Oprah on this one but, it was the closest to homemade mac n' cheese so far. I also chose Delilah's because I didn't have to call ahead to make a pseudo reservation, you just show up and order, and find a table in the Market. Luckily, Delilah's has a nice large communal table next to their space.
It was nice to have such a small group, especially after a long night of imbibing in spirits and hilarity. I totally forgot my notebook to write in and I didn't ask for anyone else to write their opinions.
We met at Delilah's, which is a small stand in Reading Terminal. They had three people working, one cooking, one dishing out food into take out containers, and one taking money. It was a simple set up and the food looked delicious. I ordered a large mac n' cheese, which the dude scooped out and crammed into a styrofoam container. They pack it full for the $10.80 price tag. There are breadcrumbs, which would not compliment the serving style. I dug in once I was seated and it was so, so delicious. The most creamy, cheesy straight up mac n' cheese I have wrapped my lips around. I didn't need to add salt, I didn't complain about the cheese. It was awesome. I ate the entire container and probably could've ate another. The overall consensus was that it was delicious mac n' cheese. The members who went to other meetings agreed it was the best so far.
I highly recommend visiting Delilah's at Reading Terminal and ordering a large container of mac n' cheese.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Meeting #4
Local 44
Wednesday 3/23/2011
I've been to Local 44 before, once or twice, but it was recommended to me because there are three different types of mac n' cheese on the menu. As usual, I called a couple days before and gave them the heads up of our gathering. They were open to the idea but, didn't tell me we wouldn't be seated if we all weren't there. It took seven members showing up and clogging the small space for them to move faster with getting a table ready. We were seated around 7:15 with seven people, then nine, ten, eleven, and finally, twelve! Twelve people crammed between a booth of eight and four squeezed around a table.
Everyone ordered many, many different things from mac n' cheese, salads, cheesy blasters, and hot wings. I ordered two different mac n' cheeses, TWO! I was double fisting mac n' cheese. I ordered the cheesy mac (vegetarian) and the mac provencal (vegan), the third kind on the menu is chili mac (I don't eat meat), I believe they all come with a side salad. Right, I'm going to be real honest. I wasn't particularly fond of either kind. I mean, they were good but, not great. I'm on the prowl for great mac n' cheese. When something is called cheesy mac, I want it to be overwhelming cheesy. I want cheese strings hanging off and to curse the fact that I can't break the forkful free of cheese. This wasn't that cheesy and for something to be called cheesy mac, that's what I was expecting. The mac provencal is a whole different story. I wasn't sure what to expect at all but, I heard it was good. I do appreciate restaurants/bars/etc. that make the effort for vegetarian and vegan food. It had nice breadcrumbs with olives mixed in, sun dried tomatoes, soy mornay (fake mayo or cheese?), rosemary, and orange zest. I was not a fan! There was some taste, perhaps, the sun dried tomatoes, that was super metal tasting. I described it as, licking a 9 volt battery that still had some juice in it. Gross. I ate about half of each to give them a fair shake but, when I go back to Local 44 I may not be ordering the mac n' cheese.
Service: Our server was amazing! She was waded through 12 people ordering some sort of mac n' cheese variation in a small, very loud bar. The food came out really fast and we actually finished eating sooner than any other mac n' cheese meeting. They also were very nice about our somewhat small group growing larger and larger. I highly recommend this place for service.
The Bill: I really don't know what the bill was, over $250 but that's with a ton of food and fancy beers mixed in. This also included gratuity because we were a large party but, I think we tipped our server more! My bill was probably around $23 for a beer and two orders of mac n' cheese.
Society members present:
Troy
Steve
Megan
Marybeth
Jen
Vivian
Maureen
Me (Michelle)
Lindsey
Danny
Deb
Natalie
Their reviews will be added shortly...seriously, there's a lot and I'm nursing an awesome face sun burn from the Phillies game so, being tired is winning over blog writing.
Local 44
4333 Spruce Street
Phila., PA 19104
215-222-BEER
Wednesday 3/23/2011
I've been to Local 44 before, once or twice, but it was recommended to me because there are three different types of mac n' cheese on the menu. As usual, I called a couple days before and gave them the heads up of our gathering. They were open to the idea but, didn't tell me we wouldn't be seated if we all weren't there. It took seven members showing up and clogging the small space for them to move faster with getting a table ready. We were seated around 7:15 with seven people, then nine, ten, eleven, and finally, twelve! Twelve people crammed between a booth of eight and four squeezed around a table.
Everyone ordered many, many different things from mac n' cheese, salads, cheesy blasters, and hot wings. I ordered two different mac n' cheeses, TWO! I was double fisting mac n' cheese. I ordered the cheesy mac (vegetarian) and the mac provencal (vegan), the third kind on the menu is chili mac (I don't eat meat), I believe they all come with a side salad. Right, I'm going to be real honest. I wasn't particularly fond of either kind. I mean, they were good but, not great. I'm on the prowl for great mac n' cheese. When something is called cheesy mac, I want it to be overwhelming cheesy. I want cheese strings hanging off and to curse the fact that I can't break the forkful free of cheese. This wasn't that cheesy and for something to be called cheesy mac, that's what I was expecting. The mac provencal is a whole different story. I wasn't sure what to expect at all but, I heard it was good. I do appreciate restaurants/bars/etc. that make the effort for vegetarian and vegan food. It had nice breadcrumbs with olives mixed in, sun dried tomatoes, soy mornay (fake mayo or cheese?), rosemary, and orange zest. I was not a fan! There was some taste, perhaps, the sun dried tomatoes, that was super metal tasting. I described it as, licking a 9 volt battery that still had some juice in it. Gross. I ate about half of each to give them a fair shake but, when I go back to Local 44 I may not be ordering the mac n' cheese.
Service: Our server was amazing! She was waded through 12 people ordering some sort of mac n' cheese variation in a small, very loud bar. The food came out really fast and we actually finished eating sooner than any other mac n' cheese meeting. They also were very nice about our somewhat small group growing larger and larger. I highly recommend this place for service.
The Bill: I really don't know what the bill was, over $250 but that's with a ton of food and fancy beers mixed in. This also included gratuity because we were a large party but, I think we tipped our server more! My bill was probably around $23 for a beer and two orders of mac n' cheese.
Society members present:
Troy
Steve
Megan
Marybeth
Jen
Vivian
Maureen
Me (Michelle)
Lindsey
Danny
Deb
Natalie
Their reviews will be added shortly...seriously, there's a lot and I'm nursing an awesome face sun burn from the Phillies game so, being tired is winning over blog writing.
Local 44
4333 Spruce Street
Phila., PA 19104
215-222-BEER
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Mac n' cheese information
My friend Deb sent me this lovely little link about the history of mac n' cheese.
Marvelous Macaroni and Cheese
My friend Rob sent me this one a long time ago about how to jazz up boxed mac n' cheese.
How to Re-Invent Box Mac n' Cheese
Marvelous Macaroni and Cheese
My friend Rob sent me this one a long time ago about how to jazz up boxed mac n' cheese.
How to Re-Invent Box Mac n' Cheese
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Meeting #3
The Wishing Well
Wednesday, 2/16/2011
The Wishing Well wasn't the first choice for this meeting, nor was this the first date either. February was a month of changes, the date was changed twice and at the last minute the location. We were supposed to be going to Percy Street BBQ but, they have some policy if you are a party larger than 9 you must order the tasting menu for $26 per person. Ridiculous! I didn't want to speak to the manager, they just lost our business for that night. I was expecting around 15 people for this meeting but, I guess all the changes scared some people away.
I called ahead and left a message on their answering machine about our group and how many was to be expected. I lowered the number to 10-12, assuming I would lose a few. I, of course, arrived late because I had to take my cat to the vet and, ended up having to change my clothes because she loves me so much she just had to pee on me. Vivian and John arrived early to receive the happy hour price on many things, including two orders of mac n' cheese for me. Mac n' cheese is 1/2 off during happy hour bringing it down to $3. Both orders were waiting for me when I arrived. The place was actually a slew of other things before The Wishing Well, I had never actually stepped foot in it. It was well lit and not too loud, there were plenty of folks for a Wednesday night enjoying themselves. Anyway, back to the mac, I totally consumed one in a short amount of time, I was real hungry. The macaroni was chewy, deliciously cheesy (not stuck together) with crunchy breadcrumbs and scallions on top. It was a nice change from a normal mac n' cheese and the onion flavor was a nice addition. I was quite impressed with the mac n' cheese, especially at $3 a bowl, that's a total deal. Which I didn't get to eat my second bowl of mac n' cheese Lindsey ate it.
There are also other happy hour and game specials, 1/2 draft beers. I got a lager for $2!
My Bill: $5 (holy crap)
I'm not sure what the rest of the bill was. I didn't write it down and I think everyone ordered way more food than me. WAY MORE.
Service: The service was amazing! Our server was super nice and let us know when all the deals were taking place, asking if we wanted to wait to order things so they would be half off.
Mo: The Mac was delish! Got it half price before 7. The topping was a mix of breadcrumbs and crispy onions-yum! The sauce was creamy and the noodles were al dente. Overall, I really liked it but wished it was a little more gooey/cheesy. Could have done without the pile of sliced scallions on top...
Lindsey: This is the best mac n' cheese we've had yet! Nice flavor! Too bad my hungry husband ate most of it. :( Nice happy hour and game time deals too. :)
Danny: Mac n' cheese = super good! And, just to clarify, I ate most of the mac n' cheese but, not all! Game time buck-a-shuck is an awesome idea.
Vivian: My salad was $4 and worth it at happy hour. Grapes and bleu cheese made my day. The beef brisket was sweet and tangy . Onion rings had a wonderful flavor. Waitress was accommodating to our many comments and demands. Can't beat $1 oysters from the West Coast (she ordered 12, and the deal is during game times).
Deb: Unlike Mo's, my mac n' cheese was nice and gooey. I kind of wish it had a bolder taste though. It was very noncommittal on the cheesy flavor. I also got the smokehouse burger. After I took the very dry beef off, it was fantastic but, then I guess its just a pulled pork sandwich. I'll know better for next time.
Society Members present:
John
Vivian
Lindsey
Danny
Mo
Chris
Deb
Frank
Me (Michelle)
The Wishing Well
767 South 9th Street
Phila, PA 19147
215-238-6555
Wednesday, 2/16/2011
The Wishing Well wasn't the first choice for this meeting, nor was this the first date either. February was a month of changes, the date was changed twice and at the last minute the location. We were supposed to be going to Percy Street BBQ but, they have some policy if you are a party larger than 9 you must order the tasting menu for $26 per person. Ridiculous! I didn't want to speak to the manager, they just lost our business for that night. I was expecting around 15 people for this meeting but, I guess all the changes scared some people away.
I called ahead and left a message on their answering machine about our group and how many was to be expected. I lowered the number to 10-12, assuming I would lose a few. I, of course, arrived late because I had to take my cat to the vet and, ended up having to change my clothes because she loves me so much she just had to pee on me. Vivian and John arrived early to receive the happy hour price on many things, including two orders of mac n' cheese for me. Mac n' cheese is 1/2 off during happy hour bringing it down to $3. Both orders were waiting for me when I arrived. The place was actually a slew of other things before The Wishing Well, I had never actually stepped foot in it. It was well lit and not too loud, there were plenty of folks for a Wednesday night enjoying themselves. Anyway, back to the mac, I totally consumed one in a short amount of time, I was real hungry. The macaroni was chewy, deliciously cheesy (not stuck together) with crunchy breadcrumbs and scallions on top. It was a nice change from a normal mac n' cheese and the onion flavor was a nice addition. I was quite impressed with the mac n' cheese, especially at $3 a bowl, that's a total deal. Which I didn't get to eat my second bowl of mac n' cheese Lindsey ate it.
There are also other happy hour and game specials, 1/2 draft beers. I got a lager for $2!
My Bill: $5 (holy crap)
I'm not sure what the rest of the bill was. I didn't write it down and I think everyone ordered way more food than me. WAY MORE.
Service: The service was amazing! Our server was super nice and let us know when all the deals were taking place, asking if we wanted to wait to order things so they would be half off.
Mo: The Mac was delish! Got it half price before 7. The topping was a mix of breadcrumbs and crispy onions-yum! The sauce was creamy and the noodles were al dente. Overall, I really liked it but wished it was a little more gooey/cheesy. Could have done without the pile of sliced scallions on top...
Lindsey: This is the best mac n' cheese we've had yet! Nice flavor! Too bad my hungry husband ate most of it. :( Nice happy hour and game time deals too. :)
Danny: Mac n' cheese = super good! And, just to clarify, I ate most of the mac n' cheese but, not all! Game time buck-a-shuck is an awesome idea.
Vivian: My salad was $4 and worth it at happy hour. Grapes and bleu cheese made my day. The beef brisket was sweet and tangy . Onion rings had a wonderful flavor. Waitress was accommodating to our many comments and demands. Can't beat $1 oysters from the West Coast (she ordered 12, and the deal is during game times).
Deb: Unlike Mo's, my mac n' cheese was nice and gooey. I kind of wish it had a bolder taste though. It was very noncommittal on the cheesy flavor. I also got the smokehouse burger. After I took the very dry beef off, it was fantastic but, then I guess its just a pulled pork sandwich. I'll know better for next time.
Society Members present:
John
Vivian
Lindsey
Danny
Mo
Chris
Deb
Frank
Me (Michelle)
The Wishing Well
767 South 9th Street
Phila, PA 19147
215-238-6555
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Meeting #2
Hey Folks,
I apologize for such a long delay, not one but two meetings have gone by and the next is quickly approaching. Sometimes I don't think I'm quite cut out to be organizer/blogger of this club but, then again, it was my idea.
Meeting #2
Memphis Taproom
Wednesday, 1/12/2011
I called ahead to give them a heads up that we were coming, the man who answered the phone was very polite and enthusiastic. The type of person you want to be friends with even if you don't really know them. They don't take reservations but, it's just common courtesy. It also is nice to not be fussy about seating arrangements when this happens either, just chill.
It was a hard night for me to get into mac n' cheese mode. No pictures were taken and hardly any notes were recorded. I had to be coerced to bring the notebook out by Jen, I handed it over to her and it was passed around the table. Which is really much easier than me trying to record everything.
People obviously ordered different things, not just mac n' cheese. Apparently, the mac n' cheese that is served as a side is different than the main offering. I had no idea. I will offer everyone's reviews starting with mine.
Me: I didn't take any notes because, the experience is burned into my brain. I ordered the cauliflower mac n' cheese (w/fenugreek oil and bellavitano cheese) and the beer battered dills. I gobbled up the pickles and patiently waited for the mac n' cheese. I was confident in my choice, I've had it before. I had the kind before the cauliflower too, swiss chard, red onion, and feta (I absolutely was in love with this). The cauliflower mac n' cheese was just so disappointing, I wanted to cry in it. The cauliflower was burnt, the cheese was flavorless, and it was incredibly dry. I only ate a small helping of it. A month later and I'm still sad. I do love The Memphis Taproom and they usually get it right so, don't let this deter you from visiting.
Jen: The mac n' cheese was not hot enough, not enough cheese, needs to be more creamy. The fried cauliflower on top was burnt (over done). The other mac n' cheese (pepperjack maybe?) was much better.
Adam: I like the crunchiness. I love cauliflower, so this is kind of biased. Overall though, it's just ok. 6/10, other food is better (he ordered a mushroom sandwich).
Maureen: Not cheesy enough. Not hot enough (temp-wise). The cauliflower tasted burnt. Overall, I like the flavor and the crunchy bread crumbs but, I feel like we caught them on a bad night. The fried pickles were good and the portobella sandwich was sooo delicious.
Lindsey: I've had better mac n' cheese here before (with squash and asparagus). Tonight it's a little heavy on the breadcrumbs and too light on the cheese. I do like the toasted breadcrumbs on top but, I don't think they need to mix the breadcrumbs throughout. Could use a more flavorful cheese.
Kelly & Hillary: I was relatively pleased with the cauliflower mac n' cheese until Adam told me that they used to have squash mac n' cheese. That sounds freakin' delicious! I then wished I had it instead. Also, Hillary has the pepperjack mac n' cheese and I stole some and preferred it. They do use excellent noodles. So shapely!
Vivian: I think the pepperjack mac n' cheese is not my cup of tea. The dish is gooey and consistent with every bite. The mac n' cheese served on the side with the chicken fried chicken is delicious. It's served pseudo Reagan style with the tomato sauce.
Society members present:
Lindsey
Maureen
Adam
Hillary
Kelly
Jen
John
Vivian
Emma
Me (Michelle)
The Memphis Taproom
2331 E. Cumberland Street
215-425-4460
I apologize for such a long delay, not one but two meetings have gone by and the next is quickly approaching. Sometimes I don't think I'm quite cut out to be organizer/blogger of this club but, then again, it was my idea.
Meeting #2
Memphis Taproom
Wednesday, 1/12/2011
I called ahead to give them a heads up that we were coming, the man who answered the phone was very polite and enthusiastic. The type of person you want to be friends with even if you don't really know them. They don't take reservations but, it's just common courtesy. It also is nice to not be fussy about seating arrangements when this happens either, just chill.
It was a hard night for me to get into mac n' cheese mode. No pictures were taken and hardly any notes were recorded. I had to be coerced to bring the notebook out by Jen, I handed it over to her and it was passed around the table. Which is really much easier than me trying to record everything.
People obviously ordered different things, not just mac n' cheese. Apparently, the mac n' cheese that is served as a side is different than the main offering. I had no idea. I will offer everyone's reviews starting with mine.
Me: I didn't take any notes because, the experience is burned into my brain. I ordered the cauliflower mac n' cheese (w/fenugreek oil and bellavitano cheese) and the beer battered dills. I gobbled up the pickles and patiently waited for the mac n' cheese. I was confident in my choice, I've had it before. I had the kind before the cauliflower too, swiss chard, red onion, and feta (I absolutely was in love with this). The cauliflower mac n' cheese was just so disappointing, I wanted to cry in it. The cauliflower was burnt, the cheese was flavorless, and it was incredibly dry. I only ate a small helping of it. A month later and I'm still sad. I do love The Memphis Taproom and they usually get it right so, don't let this deter you from visiting.
Jen: The mac n' cheese was not hot enough, not enough cheese, needs to be more creamy. The fried cauliflower on top was burnt (over done). The other mac n' cheese (pepperjack maybe?) was much better.
Adam: I like the crunchiness. I love cauliflower, so this is kind of biased. Overall though, it's just ok. 6/10, other food is better (he ordered a mushroom sandwich).
Maureen: Not cheesy enough. Not hot enough (temp-wise). The cauliflower tasted burnt. Overall, I like the flavor and the crunchy bread crumbs but, I feel like we caught them on a bad night. The fried pickles were good and the portobella sandwich was sooo delicious.
Lindsey: I've had better mac n' cheese here before (with squash and asparagus). Tonight it's a little heavy on the breadcrumbs and too light on the cheese. I do like the toasted breadcrumbs on top but, I don't think they need to mix the breadcrumbs throughout. Could use a more flavorful cheese.
Kelly & Hillary: I was relatively pleased with the cauliflower mac n' cheese until Adam told me that they used to have squash mac n' cheese. That sounds freakin' delicious! I then wished I had it instead. Also, Hillary has the pepperjack mac n' cheese and I stole some and preferred it. They do use excellent noodles. So shapely!
Vivian: I think the pepperjack mac n' cheese is not my cup of tea. The dish is gooey and consistent with every bite. The mac n' cheese served on the side with the chicken fried chicken is delicious. It's served pseudo Reagan style with the tomato sauce.
Society members present:
Lindsey
Maureen
Adam
Hillary
Kelly
Jen
John
Vivian
Emma
Me (Michelle)
The Memphis Taproom
2331 E. Cumberland Street
215-425-4460
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