Elephant Bar Mac and Cheese

Review: This is a very good mac to have. It's definitely not a meal, but makes a great appetizer. Its flavor is very unique which I am trying to emulate in my Macs I make. It's hard to tell what kind of cheese is in it. I havent asked yet, I will update that part when I find out. The pasta seems like a split open macaroni and is very interesting. The consistency is smooth but the pasta can tend to get mushy at times. However, it is still very good. I order it every time I go as does my friend Mike. It is definately something to try out. And yes, the croutons are a nice touch.

Aftertaste: It does not linger, but does want you asking for more. It is very tasty but it is good that they only give you a small amount as you could fill up very quickly eating it.

7 minute test: It can thicken up quite a bit and it actually changes depending on when you get it. It seems like sometimes when it's busy or slow, it'll be more oily or creamy. Likely due to how quickly they have to get it out and how busy they are. Either way, usually in the end it's worth a reheat, however since it is an appetizer, it is usually gone by then.

Advice: It complements most meals as an appetizer, although you should still be aware of what you order with it. It works great with a cheeseburger or chicken sandwich, but one time I got an Asian dish with it and it didnt transition well.

Score: 8.5 Like I said, I get it everytime I go and it makes a great dish to have before a Smokehouse Chicken sandwich or a Burger.

Debbie Coleman's Mac and Cheese

Review: Well the day has finally arrived where I get to have my Aunt Debbie's famous killer Mac and Cheese. Before on my Mac and Cheese I made myself, I said it was reaching near Debbie levels. Boy was I wrong again. This mac and cheese has a scale of its own. Incredible flavor, incredible consistency, and not baked. I wait the whole year getting ready to eat it and boy is it worth the wait.
I won't divulge the details, but I'll tell you that the ingredients she uses would be ones I never even thought of or considered. She told me basically what is in it, so hopefull i will be able to use some of those ideas in my own recipe. Man oh man. The only downside is that I have to wait 364 more days until I have it again. Oh wait it's a leap year next year. Man, 365 now. Dangit!!!
Aftertaste: It kept me begging for more, but everything else was so awesome I couldnt eat any more. That's the kind of aftertaste you want, where it makes you want to eat more.
7 minute test: Still great after its cooled, the flavor does not change nor does the consistency.
Advice: Marry a Coleman or Moore if you want dibs on this experience. Otherwise it's more for me! This mac reheats just fine because it is not congealed from baking.
Rating: Not even on the 1-10 scale. Once again, this year and every year. It gets an 11

Alchemy Market and Wine Bar Crab Mac and Cheese

Review: It's Christmas Party time again for my wife's work and this year we venture out to Murphys CA. We are set up to eat at Alchemy's Market and Wine Bar. Our group menu choices are chicken, steak, salmon, etc. However, my wife's boss Rob who is a fellow Mac fan uses his powers of persuasion to get them to hook us up with their signature Crab Mac and Cheese. They bring it out bubbling for all of us at the table to try and boy was it a treat!

See, when there is something added to Mac and Cheese it changes and usually ruins the consistency of the sauce. For example, adding bacon causes the cheese to become congealed and thick due to all the fat. Adding fish, such as lobster, causes it to become watery and soupy due to the water in the fish. Their recipe, however was not ruined by the crab meat at all. It was primarily a crab dish with Parmesan and pasta in it. So if you're not a fan of crab, you will likely not want it. If you have not had fresh crab before, however, you will likely become a crab eater. The pasta was a rotini and it was very good as well.

Aftertaste: The crab flavor was not fishy at all so it did not have the after taste I was concerned about. It was quite good. It went very well with the wine.

7 minute test: I was very impressed with this test. There was no change at all even near ten minutes of dining on it. Possibly because it came right out of the oven, but then again, I've had bubbling mac before that bubbled and cooled much quicker. It may be the crab retaining much of the heat that helped as well.

Advice: Again, if you're not a fan of crab, keep in mind there is alot of crab in it. The wait staff at the restaurant was very good so you don't have to put in much request aside from ordering it.

Score: 8 for it being a crab dish, staying delicious, and not becoming a watery mess. Very impressive.

Red Robin's Mac and Cheese

Review: I have had this mac and cheese a couple times and it's not that bad. You can either get it as a side dish or a main dish. I highly encourage it as a side because it is very very greasy. The consistency is not creamy but cheesy and stringy, like it's just some cooked pasta mixed in with a handful of cheese, rather than a cheese sauce per say. I can say for a fact it is not baked, but it seems half-assed.

Aftertaste: Not that bad, I usually make it through a whole side and it doesn't linger

7 minute test: It does solidify alot, especially in the fridge., so if I'm going to have leftovers, I'll have to eat them soon rather than microwave and have the next day. Likely because of all the fattening cheese.

Advice: Don't get the main dish, it's way too much raw cheese to eat and will make you sick. A side though is a nice addition to the good burgers they have there.

Score: 7

Martha Stewart's Mac and Cheese Recipe

Review: So this is one I just made today. I saw it on Yahoo's front page and it looked interesting. The recipe called for fancy cheeses I had never cooked with so I thought eh what the heck. It asked for White Cheddar and Gruyere. The white cheddar was easy to spot, the store only had the cracker barrel brand which was fine. The Gruyere was tougher to find, but I did. 9 bucks for cheese!!! What the heck?? The only answer I give to that is.... you know where that 9 dollars went. The flavor from the cheese was fantastic. I was very impressed with the sharpness of the cheddar and overall zing it gave it. The recipe did not call for too many spices. Only salt pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. I added a 1/4 tsp of ground mustard and used medium shell paste instead of elbow mac. I'm thinking it was a better idea. One day I'm going to use freshly made pasta instead of boxed..... one day. The consistency is still something that plagues me when it comes to baking the mac and cheese. Pre-oven, the cheese was creamy and smooth, but it just seems whenever I bake it, it just congeals up. I see this in the restaurant mac and cheeses as well. The breadcrumbs were actually fresh bread cubed and sprinkled on top. I chose Orowheat Buttermilk bread so the cubes on top gave it a little bit of a sweet kick. If I am able to afford to cook this again, I will skip the baking process or reduce it dramatically. The pasta worked out great. I ate my whole serving and Eva even got seconds. That made me happy.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste wasn't too bad. It seemed to linger a little bit, but then was gone after a minute or two.

7-minute test: Like the other macs, it stayed about the same consistency. Did not brick up since the cheese was much smoother than a regular cheddar.

Rating: 7, it would get an 8 if it did not congeal from the baking as the flavor was delicious.

Carnation Mac and Cheese Recipe

Review: So this one is the first Mac and Cheese that I had ever tried cooking from scratch. It asked for evaporated milk so I thought perhaps it would be interesting. I used extra sharp cheddar cheese as the recipe called for and added italian seasoned bread crumbs on the top. The sauce left much to be desired. Even with extra sharp and double the ground mustard, there wasn't much to it. The consistency was somewhat congealed from the corn starch, but that would have been expected anyway since I baked it. The recipe was easy to follow, I used bagged cheese and mixed it all in a pot. Took about 45 mins prep. Unfortunately I didn't eat much of it, which kinda sucks cuz it served 12 lol.


Aftertaste: It was pretty good. The sauce was pretty congealed the entire time so it wasn't a shocker it stayed that way.

Rating: 4, left much to be desired. Likely that it was just cheddar cheese.

Pizza Rock Macaroni and Cheese

Review: Man, did they ever give me alot of Mac and Cheese. The waitress claimed it was awesome. Apparently she is not a connoisseur of mac and cheese however. The pasta was okay. They used classic elbow macaroni so it was not as unique in appearance and flavor. The sauce was very cheesy. They did not use as much corn starch as other recipes use. That did help it stay unique when it came to the consistency of the sauce.
Aftertaste: It did not really leave much of an aftertaste. I was also eating a couple bites of spicy pizza. The other 2 jurors I was eating with liked it. Lorin had a couple bites and Bob helped me finish it off. Thanks guys
7 minute test: The pasta did not solidify and did not get thick. It stayed pretty creamy which is surprising for how stringy the cheese was. They get kudos for that accomplishment, however it did get cold quickly.
Rating: 7 (considering its a pizza restaurant)

House Bar and Restaurant Macaroni and Cheese

Review: The pasta was very tender and the cheese was almost non-existent. This dish had the option to be topped with smoked applewood bacon. However, I ordered it without the bacon so it would get a fair test. Afterall, everything is better with baconstrips baconstrips baconstrips. So, without the help, it did not live up to par. However I feel that even if the mac was topped with bacon, there probably would not be enough bacon on top or the fat from the bacon might have thrown off the consistency. Either way, it did not live up to par.
Aftertaste: It did not have a good aftertaste. It was difficult to pound down.
7 Minute test: The it stayed creamy and did not solidify.  It did thicken but not by much.
Rating: 6 perhaps it would be higher with bacon.

Ambrosia Cafe Baked mac and cheese.

Review: The overall taste was pretty good. I usually end up with dry macaroni or something that resembles a cassarole rather than pasta and cheese but this one wasn't too bad. The cheese was decent, the pasta was tender and the topping was appropriate. It was baked to a proper temperature as well.
Aftertaste: it wasn't too bad. It did linger for a bit but it didn't degrade so thats ok. It basically just delayed my appetite.
7 minute test: It did solidify quite abnormally. It turned into an orange brick real quick and I did not end up having the desire to reheat it when I took it home.
Rating: 7

Safeway Hot Food Deli Mac and Cheese

Review: We were at the store today picking up some chicken @ the deli and I decided to try out the Mac and Cheese since it was fresh. I'm betting you have to get it fresh or else it's gunna be gross. I got lucky and they had just put it out. It was very very good. My wife and I's friends Jen and Dave tried it with their kids and said it was good and that they thought of me. Boy I must be this famous mac and cheese guy. Anyway, the pasta was very tender, and the cheese was.... fantastic! It tasted more homemade than homemade claims at restaurants. It's one of the few Macs that uses genuine cheddar and gets a good rating. Most of the other good ones have to cheat and use other cheeses. It was creamy and gooey with a sharp taste that really let me taste the cheese. Very similar to Stouffer's without all the sodium and preservatives. Plus, the price point of $3.79 per pound is great considering how fresh it is.
Aftertaste: Not too much of an aftertaste, wasn't bad though. It's likely because it did not have as much salt in it.
7 minute test: This is where it takes a slight hit. After sitting for more than 2-3 minutes, it will mold into whatever shape it sat in. Thats most likely because of the fresh cheese, but it looks kinda gross. Visual appeal does matter, but not as much as flavor, which it passed after both 7 minutes and even a reheat.
Rating: 8 It deserves a solid good rating. It isn't incredible, but very good and worth getting if you see them put it out fresh. I'd likely avoid it if it looks like it's been sitting a while though.