Mac fit for a king...or a farmer

I can say without hesitation, that FARM is one of the best places i've ever eaten at and has really upped the ante for Calgary's trendy 17th avenue in terms of its selection of places to eat. The street commonly referred to as the "red mile" is cluttered with overdone pub fare, Starbucks and Nellie's, but such places such as The Coup, Tubby Dog, The Chocolate Bar and of course FARM, to name a few, are this street's saving grace when it comes to variety and originality. FARM is unique because it specializes in charcuterie and every dish is beautifully crafted in flavour and appearance. The serving staff are warm and the fragrant mix of fresh ingredients makes for an outstanding dining experience. I had already encountered FARM's mac 'n' cheese and knew I would return for a second helping and to get a second opinion from Shelley for our tour de mac.

There are two serving sizes of FARM's 'Janice's Bubbling, Mildly Spicy Mac 'n' cheese', of which we enjoyed the larger of. We loved the presentation; a white casserole dish, hot and bubbly (just as promised) right out of the oven and served on a cutting board, accompanied by sliced pickles (canned in house, no doubt). The penne noodles had just the right amount of breadcrumb topping, giving it that token al dente detail that is so crucial in any great pasta dish. The cheesiness of this mac rocked the charts, not for the amount used but for the array of cheeses that make this "side" more like an entree. The flavor bursts with strong and rich cheeses, some of the many that are locally produced and supplied to FARM. It is an authentic mac that most mom's wouldn't dream of whipping up. This dish was better than I had remembered and stands at a close second to Avenue Diner. Itss one drawback when compared to Avenue Diner, is that all of its sharp flavours make it almost too rich to consume very much of...but I suppose that's why they offer a smaller portion! We will definitely be returning to FARM for their mac, amongst other tasty items on their menu.

FARM

• Authenticity 4/5
• Flavor 5/5
• Cheesiness 5/5
• Baked Topping 4/5
• Creativity 3/5
• Presentation 3/5
• Total = 24/30

Martini's and Mac

The mac 'n' cheese gang headed to Vicious Circle on 1st street and 10th ave SW for something a little different from our usual martini fix and feasted on their 'Super Mac and Cheese'. This dish comprises of cavatapi pasta, sauteed onion, sundried tomatoes and parmesan in a white wine cream sauce. Much like Diner Deluxe, Vicious Circle has created a mac that resembles a dish of the pasta variety, focusing less on what Shelley and I consider to be a topnotch mac. It lost points for its lack of baked topping, cheesiness and authenticity, however, its presentation and creative efforts make it a nice component of the menu. Of course we'll be back to Vicious Circle for our favorite martinis and great nighttime atmosphere, but the best mac 'n' cheese award is reserved for another establishment.

Vicious Circle

• Authenticity 1/5
• Flavor 3/5
• Cheesiness 2/5
• Baked Topping 1/5
• Creativity 3/5
• Presentation 3/5
• Total = 13/30

Bumpy's 'Crumby' Mac

Bumpy's Cafe located at 1040 8th Street SW, is the perfect hole-in-the-wall luncheon establishment that serves homemade and hearty breaky, lunches, desserts and hot beverages galore. My next visit will surely include their oatmeal that you can add a mass variety of delicious (and not always nutritious) toppings. This cute cafe serves two types of Mac: 'Buffalo Chicken' and 'Gruyere'. Shelley and I brought along our dear friend Janice to sample some mac 'n' cheese and offer us a third opinion. We originally chose the 'Buffalo Chicken' route, but a miscommunication landed us with the 'Gruyere', which was a fine settlement. It was presented to us with a pickle and side of coleslaw, which suited the place perfectly. Our favorite thing about this mac 'n' cheese was the delicious crouton-sized bread crumbs that provided ample baked topping. The savory Swiss-inspired Gruyere added flavor far better then boring cheddar. Have I mentioned that this tour is tickling all of mine and Shelley's cheese-loving fancies beyond expectations? And you thought we were in it for the love of pasta... you thought wrong.

Our visit to Bumpy's was swell and our close-call with the buffalo chicken mac 'n' cheese has only sparked our desire to add new things to our mac, and add we shall. Next stop...Vicious Circle. We'll see how they compare.

Bumpy's Cafe

• Authenticity 3/5
• Flavor 3/5
• Cheesiness 3/5
• Baked Topping 3/5
• Creativity 2/5
• Presentation 3/5
• Total = 17/30

Mac 'N' Cheese fit for a Cowboy (or gal)

You know you're not in Kansas anymore when you read a menu that promotes buying a round for the kitchen crew and has a sharing dish worth $68 called the "Fat Ass Platter". The Palomino, which is located only steps from the Calgary Tower has attitude and pub fare far different from its food-serving counterparts located on Stephen Ave walk. The Palomino's deep south attitude and rustic decor was the perfect setting for a little variety in our mac 'n' cheese tour.

Shelley and I devoured The Palomino's "Macaroni n Cheese'"- White cheddar, Canadian cheddar and bleu cheese dish for $13 while being serenaded by Neil Young, Johnny Cash and Co. Our server voluntarily admitted to eating their "kick ass mac 'n' cheese" up to three times a week, a woman after our own heart. The Palomino's mac definitely delivered in terms of authenticity, cheesiness and flavor; the bleu cheese adding quite a unique, yet subtle flair. We rated its presentation on the low end of the scale, although we will always remember it for the side ramiken of ketchup it came with and kitschy red and white picnic-patterned paper backdrop. We enjoyed the cavatappi pasta that they use and will be sure to add chicken or pulled pork for only $4 extra next time we are in the mood for a night at the saloon. Yeehaw!

The Palomino

• Authenticity 4/5
• Flavor 4/5
• Cheesiness 4/5
• Baked Topping 2/5
• Creativity 3/5
• Presentation 2/5
• Total = 23/30
  

Bravo Brava

What better way to start the weekend then with a trip to one of our favorite restaurants Brava Bistro. Located on 17th ave, an experience at Brava Bistro consists of chic ambiance and a menu with something on it for everyone, including delicious accompaniments like mac 'n' cheese. This date with mac was a little different than the other two because it wasn't the main focus of our meal. Brava's side of mac 'n' cheese for only $5 is just enough to make you want more and we did. Luckily we had ordered several other dishes; Seared scallops, Margherita Flatbread, Warm Peppers and Goat Cheese and the Mussels.

The mac 'n' cheese was the cheesiest we've had yet and definitely scores points for being the most authentic, no frills mac just like the stuff that comes in the box. Don't let that fool you though, as their blend of sharp cheeses and white cheddar places them in a league way above Kraft Dinner. Brave Bistro will remain on my list as one of the best places to eat in Calgary, but my loyalty with them is not based on their mac 'n' cheese dish, even though it's a nice precursor to a delectable meal.

Brava Bistro

• Authenticity 3/5
• Flavor 4/5
• Cheesiness 5/5
• Baked Topping 0/5
• Creativity 1/5
• Presentation 1/5
• Total = 14/30

Getting our Mac on at Avenue Diner

Avenue Diner prides itself on being the "Superhero of Comfort Food" and their gourmet mac 'n' cheese dish saved the day by pleasing our appetites. Shelley and I knew that this Diner's mac was a must the minute we saw the giant graphic of cheesy perfection starring at us in the foyer while waiting to have breakfast a few weeks ago. Avenue Diner's "Dad's famous white Cheddar mac and cheese" for $16.29, was worth every penny and exceeded our expectations when we returned last week in need of a warm-up on a chilly afternoon on Stephen Ave.

The two of us shared the generous portion of Dad's mac 'n' cheese that is comprised of shell pasta and copious amounts of white cheddar, topped with freshly diced green onions and baked to perfection. The creator of this delicatessen added some fresh greens on the side for sake of aesthetics and for the sake of our waistlines, I'm sure! You have the option of adding truffle oil, basil chicken, sauteed mushrooms or bacon for a little extra flavour. We decided to go with the bacon, which made our mac flavour-packed and our taste buds giddy.

Avenue Diner

• Authenticity 4/5
• Flavor 4/5
• Cheesiness 5/5
• Baked Topping 4/5
• Creativity 4/5
• Presentation 4/5
• Total = 24/30
  
  
  
  
  

Retro Mac 'N' Cheesecapades

Trends today often arise from recycled ideas, whether it be fashion, television or music, and food is no exception. We are all far too familiar with shoveling back spoonfuls of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese as a kid and even as poor college students. We ate the stuff until we couldn't stand the sight of another box for at least a good year and grew up deprived of the real thing, as the evolution of Easy Mac became the perfect alternative to cooking. Recently Calgary restaurants have reinvented and, in a way, re marketed mac 'n' cheese to be the new high-end comfort food for the soul and my cuisine curious compadre and I plan to see what all the rage is about...one version of mac 'n' cheese at a time.

You couldn't find two people better suited to the task of a glorified mac 'n' cheese-off than fellow foodie Shelley Lodge and I, as we both leap at any chance to try new restaurants in Calgary and have taste palates fit for kings (we place our faith in Calgary's mac 'n' cheese sporting merchants not to be counterproductive of that of course). The task at hand seems simple thus far, step one: research places serving souped up versions of mac 'n' cheese or in our case, revisit menus where we once spotted the dish, word-of-mouth is also useful, step two: compile a list, step three: commence! And commence we have, today being the first of many mac 'n' cheese endeavors.

Diner Deluxe, located on 8th avenue and Edmonton trail has always stood out as the perfect spot for breaky or brunch and the fact that it shares a wall with Urban Baker bakery has always made this combo the perfect one-stop-shop on lazy Sundays. The 1950s inspired Diner Deluxe gave us a fine welcome to the beginning of our tour (even on a Wednesday evening), with its friendly old-time diner digs and surprisingly quaint dinner hour atmosphere. We ordered the 'Baked Macaroni with Sun dried Tomato, Basil Pesto & White Cheddar Cheese' for $12.95 that came with a thinly sliced piece of garlic buttered toast that Shelley washed down with a glass bottle of Coke just to finely tune her retro mac 'n' cheese experience. We both agree that the pesto is a nice touch, however, its flavour tended to dominate the actual cheesiness of the dish. We gave it the benefit of the doubt though because the diner itself doesn't self proclaim this dish as mac 'n' cheese per se. The amateur mac 'n' cheesees that we are, we gave Diner Deluxe a generous 16/30, which may change pending further investigation.

As we continue our mac 'n' cheese tour of Calgary, we have developed a set of criteria in which we will be grading each new version of mac 'n' cheese that we come across. We will assess our tasty project according to these six criterion:

DINER DELUXE

• Authenticity 2/5
• Flavor 3/5
• Cheesiness 2/5
• Baked Topping 1/5
• Creativity 4/5
• Presentation 4/5
• Total = 16/30