My affinity for macaroni and cheese has been life long. And I appear to have passed along the mac and cheese gene (if such exists), because my 9-year-old son is a sucker for the stuff, too.
So it was with anticipation that we eagerly sought out S'MAC (short for Sarita's Macaroni and Cheese) on our recent first trip to New York together. Located in a storefront on 12th Street in the East Village, S'MAC serves almost nothing but macaroni and cheese and that is very good news for aficionados .
The restaurant's color scheme sets the tone -- a warm, comforting orange and yellow reflecting the main ingredients of the classic dish. We walked in and placed our order at the walk-up counter -- a couple of side salads (a faint nod at healthy eating), two Jones Soda Co. soft drinks, and the main events.
The entrees come in three sizes -- nosh, major munch, and mongo -- and are served in the cast-iron skillets they are cooked in. Looking at our fellow diners -- almost exclusively adult with a notable number of bike messengers involved in serious carbo loading -- we selected major munch. No human could handle a mongo alone and live for long.
My son settled on the "All American ," which featured a delightful blend of cheddar and American cheeses with elbow macaroni ($6.50), while I opted for the "Gruyere" -- a sinful, tangy combination of Swiss cheese, fried slab bacon chunks, and elbow macaroni with breadcrumbs and grated cheese toasted on top ($9). (S'MAC's macs come with elbow or whole wheat pasta, with breadcrumbs or without.)
The friendly counter staff delivered our piping hot meals as we sat at a counter in the front window watching the street parade. My son put a dent in his meal but I cleaned my plate, er, skillet. Absolutely one of the best things I have tasted in my life. Our bill came in under $30 and we couldn't have been happier. This was the promised land.
S'MAC, 345 East 12th St., New York . 212-358-7912 (-7917).smacnyc.com .
