Native's Pick! (?)

Four lucky INY staffers sat down in Delicatessen in SoHo for a four-hour, 12-course tasting of scrumptious Mac and Cheese presented by Chef Michael Ferraro of Macbar (who will be competing on Iron Chef Friday night!). Macbar, which is shaped like a giant yellow macaroni noodle, is not a restaurant to be missed!

Here’s what our mac and cheese experts have to say about all 12 delicious Macbar flavors:  

The Classic

Alice Preminger: The tender elbows were slippery with sweet butter, and suspended in a mild but potent blend of American and Cheddar cheeses. The conglomerate was pleasantly salty, of course, but was also given a bit of extra dimensionality thanks to some pepper.

Joe Girton: Fantastically basic, rich, buttery, a great choice for the purist.

Melissa Kravitz:  I’ve grown up on macaroni and cheese since I could chew, if not before, so I consider myself kind of an expert, if not a mac and cheese prodigy, or perhaps the Queen of Mac and Cheese. This creamy, cheddar infused pasta melted in my mouth and certainly tasted much better than anything that could come out of a box! After this first dish I knew I was in for the dinner of a lifetime.

Shira Laucharoen: Basic mac upgraded to its finest, with a creamy dose of American and cheddar. Curls of pasta are hearty, dig-in fare served with lightly crackled crust.

Four Cheese

AP: The mélange of queso blanco, fontina, emmental and Gouda that coated each solitary macaroni was stunningly rich, a tad sweet, and had a hint of smokiness (thanks, no doubt, to the Gouda).

JG: More nuanced flavors, definitely more interesting than the classic. a solid base of white cheese for a smooth mouthfeel, but the slight bite of the emmental and gouda was very noticeable compared to the classic’s down-home American/cheddar combo.

MK: Smokier than I expected, but absolutely delicious.  So much cheese, so much pasta, what more could a girl want?

SL:  Layers on the sharp blend of queso blanco, emmental, fontina, and gouda for a husky afterthought.

Mac ‘Shroom

AP: Anything smothered with sweet marscapone and pungent fontina, and then drizzled with truffle essence is pretty much guaranteed to be amazing. And this creamy, pungent concoction, studded with chewy mushrooms, lives up to expectation.

JG: Another standout, this dish’s not-so-subtle earthy notes are supplied by warmly roasted mushrooms and the pièce de resistance, “truffled essence.” almost overwhelmingly rich, the delicate but powerful flavors in the mac ‘shroom will leave you wanting to go mushroom scouting in the black forest or something.

MK: I’m not a food critic like Alice or Joe but I do love mushrooms in pretty much everything- this dish was no exception! The sharp cheese nicely balanced the sauteed mushrooms and truffle is never a bad addition to any pasta.

SL:  Mushrooms dunked in mascarpone give this one its warm, rich undertones.  Doused in a luscious truffled essence, this bite is a delicious pick.

Margarita Mac

AP: Underneath a heavy blanket of mild mozzarella was a blend of chewy pasta, stringy Parmigianino, sweet tomatoes, all flecked with shards of crisp, refreshing basil.

MK:  I love anything with cheese, tomato, and noodles so this was an easy sell for me.  The fresh basil and stringy, gooey, perfectly melted mozzarella enhanced by deliciously ripe tomatoes made this my favorite dish.

JG: Very, very flavorful! The tomatoes helped balance the mushy macaroni texture so universal to the other flavors. the most powerful flavor in this one, however, was clearly the fresh basil – almost overwhelmingly aromatic, the basil made the margarita mac a standout.

SL: With a dash of basil and a smothering of mozzarella, this macaroni has flair.  Shards of tomato and fragrant herbs make for a colorful combo.

Primavera

AP: Small cubes of onion, slivers of spinach, and hints of fresh garlic and a perfectly smooth sauce-like blend of feta and Parmigianino cheeses made the colorful take on mac n cheese an absolute standout.

JG: The vegetarian’s delight, this variety didn’t particularly inspire me, but then again, I’m a huge fan of earthy, gamey, meat flavors. if you’re a vegetarian looking for intense flavors, go with the shrooms.

MK:  Vegetables are like candy to me, so I was in heaven with this fantastic mix of greens, swiss cheese, and of course, elbow pasta.  Definitely felt healthy eating this one- it was quite an upgrade from the frozen broccoli I usually toss into my Kraft…

SL: Chopped green beans slathered in swiss and cheddar are an appetizing mix.  For a helping of roast vegetables and a lighter taste, try this festive selection.

Mayan Chipotle

AP: My personal favorite of the mac and cheeses, the spicy chipotle pepper gave a nice (though not overpowering) heat to the tangy Chihuahua cheese blend, the pieces of toothsome chicken further complicating the texture.

JG: An artful mélange of textures, spices, and flavors, this south-of-the-border concoction was a favorite. the richly roasted chicken provided a wonderfully smoky presence, and the baked macaroni preserved the moisture of the meat. neither too spicy nor too bland, this was a great intersection of traditional american flavors and more exotic Mexican tradition.

MK: Soy vegetariana.  Lo siento!

SL: This one hits the spot with flecks of spice and a crispy, singed top of chihuahua cheese. Morsels of peppery chicken make this dish fiery and savory.

Mac Quack

AP: While the duck may have been understated, the sweet caramelized onions and bitter scallions more than picked up the slack, the velvety fontina-based mac and cheese was perfectly buttery, gooey and more than satisfying.

JG:  As a huge fan of gamey, caramelized duck, I had high expectations for this dish. I was slightly disappointed when I could barely find the strings of duck flesh in the macaroni. The cheese used in this dish, fontina, is as mild as they get, and the bird shouldn’t have had trouble asserting its presence. If you’re a fan of gamey birds, go for the Mayan chipotle instead: the chicken was much more pronounced there.

MK:  As a vegetarian, I had to forgo duck flesh.  But I heard repeatedly that it tasted gamey…

SL: Sweet and delicate meets rustic flavor, with sautéed onions gingerly tossed into the duck and fontina pairing.

Mac Lobsta

JG: Another favorite, the brilliance of this dish revolved around the delicately nuanced lobsterness. The chef uses fresh lobster from Maine and Canada to put this one together, and it shows. Unlike the duck, the richness of the cream sauce didn’t overpower the texture and flavor of the crustacean: in fact, the cognac and sweet mascarpone complement its subtle fish flavor just right. Bravo.

MK:  As a Jew, I sadly had to pass on this one as well.  But the cheese mixture looked absolutely delicious!

Carbonara

AP: The sharp and poignant Parmigianino sauce dousing the heap of pasta is laced with sweet peas and hunks of smoky pancetta, creating a perfect balance of sweet and salty, creamy and chewy.

JG: By far my favorite. I’m partial to carbonara’s natural creaminess, and I almost felt like the chef had included the traditional egg in the sauce because it was so rich. The pancetta had the perfect bite and was nicely chewy, and the peas were perfectly cooked into the macaroni. This one’s classic, bold flavors are unbeatable in my mind.

Reuben Mac

JG:  One of my favorites, the Reuben was a blast to eat just because of the distinctive shapes and textures of the different ingredients. The braised corned beef, a key component to the traditional reuben sandwich, was cut into long, thin strips here to make it more digestible in the macaroni context. Small pickle chunks dotted the pasta, offsetting the creamy, greasy macaroni with a light note of vinegar. The final touch, toasted rye bread crumbs sprinkled on top, linked the dish conceptually to the reuben sandwich and added some textural variety to this stellar take on mac ‘n’ cheese.

MK:  I don’t eat meat but the croutons on top were phenomenal!

Mac Stroganoff

AP: Featuring meaty chunks of beef, delicate savory stewed mushrooms, and a hearty layer of a mild cheese (fontina, maybe), the entire mixture was doused in a delightfully tangy sour cream sauce.

JG: Very smooth, the sour cream added a slight tang that offset the creamy richness of the macaroni. The umami of the braised beef brought some welcome meatiness into this mushy world of elbow pasta, and the overall mouthfeel of the stroganoff reminded me of my mom’s cooking back home.

Cheeseburger Mac 

Looked fantastic, we were all stuffed…

BOTTOM LINE:

AP: But no matter which mac and cheese you try, all feature that golden-brown crust of brunt cheese that stretches for miles with each forkful.  And everyone knows that’s the best part anyway.

MK: I’m moving into Macbar immediately.

SL: There’s no way to go wrong with these scrumptious and playful pans of mac.  If you’re up for comfort food and a bit of surprise, go for take-out and grab more than one!

MK:  Also, the tempura mozzarella caprese salad we had as an interlude was probably the best salad of my life.  Don’t skip it if you eat at Delicatessen!

Macbar is located at 54 Prince Street and Delicatessen is right next door!  

-HRH, The Queen of Mac and Cheese

8 Comments | Posted on July 21, 2011 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Native's Pick, SoHo

tags: Alice Preminger, Amazing, Heaven, Joe Girton, mac and cheese, Macbar, Melissa Kravitz, Michael Ferraro, Royalty, Shira Laucharoen