~ Mac-N-Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Cute, but not sexy. On the other hand, the melty cheese and bacon are quite visually appealing. Flavor: ⭐️ Very “meh.” There was little to no variety in flavor, aside from a slight aftertaste of Kraft Singles. Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Something interesting about this mac is that was sufficiently creamy – but…
Melt Bar & Grilled (Columbus, OH)
~ Mighty Macaroni ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If there is someone out there who can look at sandwich without their mouth watering, please contact me so we can have a little chat – you might be a robot. Just look at the dusting of parm across the top! I must say, I am also a big…
Tavern & Tap (Lansing, MI)
~ White Cheddar & Bacon Mac N Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let’s not kid ourselves, this mac looks like it was taken straight out of Bon Appétit Magazine – just look at the artful sprinkling of chives across the top. This may just be the most aesthetic mac & cheese dish I have ever encountered;…
Saddleback BBQ (Okemos, MI)
~ Saddleback Mac + Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I find it important to note that this mac is a side dish. For most BBQ joint mac & cheeses, a styrofoam container is usually the best you can expect in terms of presentation. Pretty blah. As you can see from the photo, Saddleback shakes that expectation and…
Haymaker Public House (Ann Arbor, MI)
~ Firehouse Mac & Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I knew that this mac would be a winner at first sight – just look at the artful sprinkling of parsley across the top. Combined with the brioche breadcrumbs and cavatappi pasta, it’s a handsome entrée. Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In-cre-di-ble. I would venture that the best part of this…
Grizzly Peak (Ann Arbor, MI)
~ Truffled Mac + Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Awesome! The cast iron dish is a cute touch; as for the mac itself, I couldn’t wait to dig in. Note: I tried the side instead of the entrée, so ~results may vary~. Flavor: ⭐️⭐️ For a truffled mac & cheese, I can definitely say I expected more flavor…
The Laundry (Fenton, MI)
~ Mac-n-Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have to say, I thought the bowl and saucer format was pretty cute. The mac & cheese, on the other hand, looked oily and insipid. Flavor: ⭐️ I was shocked by the lack of flavor in this mac. Seriously, it tasted like buttered pasta. Creaminess: ⭐️ Clumpy and dry. The only…
Frankenmuth Brewery (Frankenmuth, MI)
~ Mac N’ Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nice! The wide black plate is a nice detail that provides an aesthetic contrast with the paler cheese sauce. Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 The flavor was tough to pin down; overall, it was good, but the aftertaste was noticeably buttery. In tandem with the Ritz Cracker topping, the butteriness wasn’t…
Microwavable Mug Mac & Cheese
~ DIY Mug Mac ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Preface: This review will be a bit different, in all the best ways of course. As suggested by a lovely reader, I tried out a microwavable mug mac & cheese recipe (get excited, you can try this at home)! This particular recipe is a hybrid of several that…
The Claddagh Irish Pub (Lansing, MI)
~ Mac & Cheese ~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Foxy! Can’t get much more insta-worthy than this. Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The taste of this mac & cheese absolutely dazzled me. As much as I love both Irish Cheddar and/or Gouda cheeses, they can be pretty overpowering if they’re not paired with another cheese to mellow them out, and that balance is…
Cheesy, Not Sleazy 