We may take food seriously, but we’re not food snobs. Case in point: our undying appreciation for childhood’s MVP dish, macaroni and cheese.
The ultra-creamy Mac & Cheese from Somerville favorite Trina’s Starlite Lounge combines shell pasta with sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and cream cheese. A topping of crushed-up Ritz crackers adds satisfying texture to every bite. It’s nearly perfect as-is, but you can add mix-ins like a hot dog or a dish from the sides menu.
The South End’s Picco swaps out elbows for twisty gemelli pasta in its Mac & Cheese, which blends cheddar, Gruyère, provolone, and gorgonzola. You can keep it vegetarian while adding in roasted garlic or mushrooms, or beef it up with bacon or sausage. It’s available as an entree or a side portion, so you can size it to save room for a pizza or homemade ice cream.
Cambridge rotisserie and cafe Shy Bird is open every morning, noon, and night, but mac and cheese connoisseurs will want to visit during dinner hours. Shy Bird’s Creamy Mac & Cheese is an entree option alongside fried and roasted chicken plates, sandwiches, and salads—but you don’t have to skip the fowl to satisfy your cheesy craving. Add-on options for the hearty plate include the menu signature rotisserie chicken, and crispy fried nuggets called SB Dunks. Creamy Mac is on the menu for on-site dining at dinnertime as well as takeout and delivery.
Available as a “hot scoop” side to this BBQ joint’s laden trays, the Mac n’ Cheese at Sweet Cheeks Q uses curvy cavatappi pasta to soak up a cheese sauce made with American, Monterey Jack, and sharp cheddar. Mozzarella, provolone, and even more sharp cheddar are added to finish the dish, and a topping of garlic butter panko crumbs, Ritz crackers, and parmesan rounds out its down-home appeal.
Macaroni and cheese is a requisite side dish at any self-respecting steakhouse, and the option at Mooo does not disappoint. Maine Lobster Mac & Cheese turns any of the a la carte steaks into a surf-and-turf dream, with its rich cream sauce sweetened just enough with the fresh catch. Order in-house to get it still sizzling in a cast-iron crock, or get it to-go to bring the steakhouse experience home.
Beloved Brookline beer bar The Publick House might be best-known for ever-changing drafts and a deep cellar of European bottles, but the food is hardly an afterthought. Hand-cut fries and The Mac and Cheese are menu mainstays at a place inspired by Belgian pub culture. The latter, served in-house in baked-to-order cast-iron, is memorable without any add-ons: Al dente orecchiette pasta buried in a secret five-cheese sauce with a rich, almost nutty flavor. It’s also available to-go in single-serving and family sizes, with lots of fun options for additions, from tender braised short ribs, to hot dogs, to aromatic truffle cream.
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