Mac n' Cheese

[BackBayGirl]

Hello, Chowhounders. Where can you get the BEST mac n' cheese in town?? I want opinions as I LOVE mac n' cheese and love to try new places to see who makes the best. I've of course tried Silvertone's as well as the Trident Cafe and Davio's. I haven't been able to find anyone though who matches up to this crazy mac n' cheese "death on a plate" recipe I make only once a year (white truffle oil, prosciutto, whipping cream...some of the fine ingredients in my recipe). I want to know though from you all where the best mac n' cheese can be found and WHY it's so good.

[recky]

Flash's on Stuart St. has excellent mac & cheese. It is super full of flavor although I am not sure it is made with all the ingredients you use!

[Chickpea]

For a bit of a twist, the new SoulFire BBQ place in Allston has fried macaroni and cheese balls. Probably not the best mac and cheese you'll find, but they're different and addictive.

[groaker]

Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton Center makes a fine Mac & Cheese with plenty of cheese.

http://www.johnnysluncheonette.com/

If you are willing to travel, however, the best Mac & Cheese I've ever had is at the Elbow Room in West Hartford, CT. They use at least 4 different cheeses, and the portion is big enough to feed a draft horse. I like to have it together with the Caesar Salad with Asiago Chips for a real cheese fix.

http://www.americanjoint.com/

[9lives]

If you're in the financial district for lunch, Grass Roots Deli on Devonshire does a good version..few tables but mostly takeout.

[saltshaker]

I think Aquitaine does great mac & cheese. Though extremely rich--I can't imagine eating an entire portion myself.

[JamesHH]

Busy Bee has a friday special of Baked Mac n' Cheese. It is a huge plate piled way high of deliciousness. It is seriously tasty, I used to go there every friday for it. Though there is nothing special about it, just darn good macncheese.

[cheesehound]

I second the recommendation of the mac & cheese at the Publick House in Brookline. It's very good and very rich (they give you a two-serving portion, in my opinion). I've also had scrumptious mac & cheese as a side dish at Restaurant 33 (at 33 Stanhope St.)--it had wonderful cheeses and a touch a truffle oil.

[jennywoj]

What about Bukowski's in Inman Square? I like their Mac n Cheese (good, al dente pasta) and of course the beer options are many and varied.

[hiddenboston]

Dax, could you tell me more about Chef Lee's II? Not just the macaroni and cheese there, but the place in general? I've read some good things about the place, but know very little about it. It is a few blocks from Edward Everett Square, right?

[Dax]

It's near the intersection of Dudley and Columbia Ave. I'm not very familiar with square names in Dot. By the giant clock.

Last time I was there on a Sunday they were out of collards. Mac and cheese was still good.

Here are a few old posts:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/147387?user_name=&query=chef+lee%27s

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[Kbee]

Zon's mac and cheese rocks. Very rich and creamy, with crispy panko crumbs on top. Not for the faint of heart.

[hiddenboston]

Definitely the best I've had.

I was at a party awhile ago that was catered by Blue Ribbon, and out of the 40+ people at the party, I'd have to say that nearly half of them said the same thing.

Give it another shot. Maybe they were having an off day when you went. I've had it from them several times and it has always been great.

[JennyL]

I'd love to know others' opinions, but I really like, in a pinch, Whole Foods' mac and cheese when it's fresh (like at the prospect st cambridge branch); haven't ever bought the one in the fridge section. you have to doctor it with pepper and salt and maybe a topping, but it's pretty solid.

[Dax]

I've had it multiple times. I think it's ok, but no where near the best I've had. To each his/her own ...

[hiddenboston]

I like the mac and cheese at Zon's in Jamaica Plain, Harvard Gardens on Beacon Hill, and the Ashmont Grill in Dorchester, but the best I've had anywhere is from the Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington and West Newton.

[Dax]

The Blue Ribbon's is the best you've had? I thought it was a bit on the dry side and relied too much on breadcrumb filler the last time I had it.

[deldredge]

I'd try the mac and cheese at the Publick House in Brookline. It's pretty great. You can add different things to it as well, my favorite is Andouille sausage. And the beer is amazing.

http://www.thepublickhousebrookline.com/

[CocoDan]

My wife likes the Mac & Cheese at the Ashmont Grille. Give it a try, it's interesting. Enjoy.
CocoDan

[Rubee]

I was all set to say the usual suspects, but if you're comparing to your own, which IMO isn't "mac n'cheese", it's what I call frou-frou mac (not that there's anything wrong with that-mine would give someone instant cholesterol), I'd say Mistral when white truffle is in season.

OTOH, I don't really see that dish in restaurants in the summer - to me, it's a fall/winter dish, but a standout out the last time I had it was North Street Grille's creamy mac with apples and bacon. Good stuff! Also, I remember someone posting about the mac side dish at Eastern Standard, and Tremont has a lobster or crawfish mac on the menu sometimes. We checked it out once with Dax, but it was really dry. However, since then Andy Husbands has returned to the kitchen, and judging from tonight's dinner at Tremont 647, I'm looking forward to checking it out again.

[BackBayGirl]

Yes, I know my mac n' cheese is frou-frou. Ha ha! I should clarify though...I'm looking for any type of good mac n' cheese, frou-frou or not. I like Silvertone's. The one at Trident is ok. It's not something I typically get in the summer either, but I thought I'd thow it out there as there haven't seemed to be many postings on the subject. Thanks for your suggestions. I will definitely try them out when the mood hits.

[Alcachofa]

I prefer Harvard Garden's to Silvertone's. But, like Rubee, I can't think about it in the summer!

I also enjoyed the mac'n'cheese with, I think, lamb at the North Street Grille.

[Dax]

I like the mac and cheese at Chef Lee's II in Dorchester as well as the same dish at Bob the Chef's in the South End. You surely won't find any truffle oil in them, but they're the typical baked mac and cheese with eggs and lots of cheese which I grew up eating. The mac and cheese at Coast Cafe, prepared the same way, can be hit or miss.

[greenwalter]

About a year ago, my daughter had a great mac 'n cheese at Summer Shack. It stood up to anything else on the table. Smooth and zesty with a toothsome pasta.