S'MAC

474 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
(646) 438-9494

Macaroni and cheese. Mac and cheese. From Mom to Kraft, everyone thinks that their is the best. I know that my mom's is. Want the recipe? Just ask.

If any food existed to thumb its nose at the health-food industrial complex, it's the venerable mac and cheese dish. High carb, high fat, and high calorie, mac and cheese almost needs a warning from the Surgeon General: WARNING, people with high cholesterol should consult their physician before consuming."

S'mac, a restaurant opened specifically to specialize in this specific form of artery cloggage, has two locations, one in the East Village, and the other in the upper west side. They have radically different vibes. The East Village outlet is full of 20-30 somethings looking for a cool way to get dinner for under ten bucks. It's tiny. The upper west side one is way larger, shares its location with a gimmicky pizza joint (Pinch: Pizza by the Inch), and was filled with kids when Mr. Dogz and I showed up. Cartoon Network played on the large flat-screens and was soon followed by what felt like hours of Hannah Montana.

Dogz suggested that, in the interests of my beloved readers (all six of you), we get a range of small "nosh" sized mac and cheeses. The nosh size is the smallest and would be good for a lunch or if you're alone. With a friend or a date, get other flavors, share them, and it's like tapas. Dogz and I went the international route. No two mac and cheeses were anything like the other... except, of course, for the mac and the cheese.



I wanted to try the All American, macaroni with cheddar and American cheese with some bread crumbs on top. Pretty much the closest version of what we should all be used to. The ole' standby. Not bad... but not nearly as good as Mom's. Dogz's choice was the Parisienne, a hoity-toity combo of brie, figs, shitake mushrooms and rosemary. This smelled incredible and had the best start. Dogz was drooling over the crust. Alas, the amazement began to wither as the dish cooled and the novelty wore off. I somewhat think that the problem was the macaroni. Take the sauce, toss it over some chicken, and voila, mon ami, magnifique! Finally, the Masala, an Indian-inspired version with cheddar, American cheese, tomato, ginger, onion, cilantro, and cumin. Like the Parisienne, despite a very strong start, it started to get tired as we ate further into the dish. But it had a longer shelf life, so to speak. The cilantro was a genius touch and absolutely made the dish.



S'mac is definitely a great place for something different and relaxing and inexpensive, and there are another dozen variants of the dish I didn't get to try... or I can make my own. But I can't see myself making a habit of going there... if for no other reason that the starch and the dairy sit like a brick in my gut. Still, it's fun and, Hannah Montana aside, something to check out before you start your new years resolutions.

Side note, we tried the Pinch pizza, a plain, eight inch "pie". Pinch serves square pies four inches wide and as long as you want within your budget. It was okay. The sauce was sweet, the crust was good, it needed more cheese. Dogz and I were both impressed, having assumed that it would taste like something you'd get in a school cafeteria. But it reminded me of the soulless stuff you might get at the supermarket and heat in your toaster oven.