S’Mac

Mac & Cheese? Yes please. America’s favorite comfort food is not only making an appearance but it’s having it’s own awards show in the East Village.  On 12th st S’Mac, or Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese, the sky is the limit when it comes to the mucusey elbow pasta that defined the American childhood. Choose from an assortment of the restaurant’s favorite recipes or build your own selecting everything from possible cheeses, blue, brie, cheddar, goat, manchego;  “mix ins” including andouille sausage, basil, broccoli, ham, figs, hot dogs, or tuna. Yes. That’s right. Figs.

There is a Mac & Cheese for every occasion at S'Mac

It seemed like it would be wrong to judge the restaurant based on a customizable selection, as selecting one’s own favorite ingredients might lead to a mixture of whole wheat elbows, in blue  and pepper jack cheeses, with tomatoes mushrooms, and buffalo sauce… maybe figs too. Therefore an order of 3 of Sarita’s recommendations was in the cards.

The Parisienne is s the only order that comes with figs, but it is also loaded down with Blue cheese and shitake mushrooms and seemed too heavy for a dinner of three Mac & Cheeses. The Buffalo Chicken flaunted the buffalo sauce, but chicken is pretty boring. Finally the Masala is listed simply as a blend of “North American comfort food” and “Eastern Spices.” Not tonight. So which three made the cut?

The Mediteranian

Infused with the standard flavor profiles of kalamata olives, goat cheese, spinach, and roasted garlic it’s hard to go wrong with this classic combination. The goat cheese dominates the taste, with the salt of the olives getting cut by the creamy richness of the thick fromage. The spinach and garlic add texture but aren’t identified by their own tastes. The dish sings as it’s richness is only matched by the history of the region it’s hails from.  If you like a greek salad, but want to have a heart attack before you’re 30 this is your dish. Eat it while it’s hot, as with all the dishes, when they congeal it can get dangerous.

The Alpine

It seems that over the years America has decided that in order to serve mac and cheese we must stuff pigs into it. If it be ham, bacon, pork belly, butt, or shoulder. Since this combination seems to be everywhere it must be mightily popular, but then again,  so is Glen Beck. The Apline is simple: Gruyere, and Slab Bacon. It is completely dominated by the flavor of the bacon as the gruyere tends to take a back-seat adding texture, cholesterol to something that doesn’t need either. The bacon itself is tough and chewy. This was easily the least favorite.

La Mancha

The La Mancha is Sarita’s “spanish” mac and cheese. Loaded with manchego, fennel and onions, this bowl packs the most bang for your buck. Although limited to three ingredients this really has a deep intensity. While this bowl lets you appreciate each of the three amigos individually they are also a bountiful layered beast. If one character in this novela of a pasta dominates it’s the fennel, but it is delivered in the best way possible: coated in delicious cheese. If for some reason you are only going to eat 1 bowl of macaroni and cheese as a meal, get this one. It’s by far the most stunning on the menu.

If New York is rich with flavors then  S’Mac is the Fort Knox of flavor. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may die, or possibly the next day if we do things right.

Things S’Mac should add to it’s roster of “mix ins” Lobster, sriracha and peas.