My Quest for the best Mac & Cheese. Part 1 of 3.

I started writing down places that I had already tried and places where I suspected that the M&C would be good. Then I asked for recommendations on FB and got a ton of suggestions, and a lot was local to me. Nine are included in this write-up, with 21 more on the list. 

The pasta was cooked in unsalted water unless otherwise noted. Show me a cookbook that tells you to cook pasta in unsalted water.

It's called Mac & Cheese for a reason. Macaroni & Cheese. Not random pasta shapes.
From Wikipedia: "The word "macaroni" is often used synonymously with elbow-shaped macaroni, as it is the variety most often used in macaroni and cheese recipes".

My Diner in Melrose. Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese ($9.95 $12.95 $13.95). Extra Buffalo sauce on the side (+1). The elbow macaroni could have been more al dente, but it wasn't ruined. There was a lot of crispy chicken that was tender and juicy. The sauce was tasty, and I was delighted with my lunch (and dinner 😋). For once, there was enough buffalo sauce in the dish, so I wasted a dollar. No crispy chicken on the weekends. This is my favorite so far, especially for the price. 9/10

Anchor Pub in Beverly. This was an excellent Lobster Mac & Cheese that was creamy and had perfectly cooked pasta.🦞 Smaller portion since the last one. Instead of a full lobster, it was probably just a half. Still very good. One crab cake left in the background. Love this place! Where else can you get an Extra Extra Dry Tanqueray Martini for $6.50 $8.00? 8.5/10

Tavern In the Square in Burlington. The Mac & Cheese used to be $21 after adding bacon and buffalo chicken. It's now $24 with only the buffalo chicken added. It's very good with plenty of chicken and sauce, but even after $10 off, it's not worth the money. After further consideration, this is worth the money. Pro tip: ask for extra buffalo sauce on the side. 9/10 despite the price tag.

The Yardhouse in Burlington. [Mac + Cheese] ($18.99 Adult size). "white truffle, bacon, chicken, crimini, shitake & oyster mushrooms, parmesan, panko cheddar crust". This was a gigantic portion with some strangely shaped pasta. There was plenty of tender chicken and also plenty of white truffle oil. It was tasty, but I expected Mac & Cheese; however, what I got was exactly what the menu said. Pasta with cheese. The normal bechamel sauce was completely absent, so the dish was dry. 5/10

Omar's Bistro in Lexington. Bisto is open Wed-Sun. Go and check out their website, interesting story. Three-Cheese Mac Attack (13). "Toasted Brown Butter Bread Crumb & Parmesan Topping. Add Crispy Buffalo Chicken + 4". Of course I added the chicken. The pasta was perfectly cooked, and they use Barilla pasta. Next time I'll ask for it "Extra Gooey" like the kids' version. The cheese part was very tasty, with excellent cheese. The crispy chicken was tender and juicy. The Buffalo sauce was not very spicy but just pleasant. This was a very good version, even if the serving was on the smaller size. 8.5/10

Millers Tavern in Methuen gives you $20 off during your birthday month. Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese ($15.49). "Five cheese baked elbow macaroni and cheese, topped with Ritz cracker crumbs. Add Bacon (1.95), Lobster (7.95), Buffalo chicken (3). I added Bacon and Buffalo Chicken. Guess what happens when you add crispy chicken and smother it in the sauce instead of leaving it on top? I expected crispy bacon, but that was not to be. It was just heated up in the sauce. The sauce was tasty with the buffalo seasoning and the blue cheese. Not a bad version at all. 8.5/10

Alchemy in Lynnfield. HERB CRUSTED MAC & CHEESE (16) at @alchemy_lynnfield. "Add rotisserie chicken 6 or pork belly burnt ends 7". Of course I added the pork belly.  The pork belly was excellent, and there was a good amount of tender belly. It does a really great job of hiding in the picture. The M&C was tasty and super creamy with plenty of cheese sauce. The Cavatappi was cooked a perfect al dente. This was really enjoyable, especially with $10 off.  9/10

Olde Magoun's Saloon in Somerville. CAST IRON MAC-N-CHEESE (12). With the add-on buffalo chicken, it's ($17). "Cooked to order and served in a cast iron skillet". This looks like a small serving, but it wasn't. The creamy pasta was cooked perfectly, and the tender buffalo chicken was crispy, even after being sauced. Another excellent dish here. 9.1/10

Pressed Cafe in Burlington. SPICY’ BUFFALO CHICKEN MAC N’ CHEESE ($14.5). "Our House Vermont Cheddar Mac N’ Cheese Tossed With Our House-Made Hot Sauce, Marinated Grilled Chicken, Crumbled Blue Cheese & Ranch Dressing. Topped With Breadcrumbs & Parmesan". With extra buffalo sauce (+.50). The pasta was cooked right, and there was a generous serving. There was an OK amount of grilled chicken, but it was dry. The M&C was very soupy; I would have preferred it to be slightly thicker. Not my type of place, and not too impressed by the food. This one was from the FB recommendations. 7.5/10

Failures.

The Yardhouse in Burlington. It wasn't an M&C but a MAC + CHEESE.
Purple Carrot Bread Co. Lowell. Family size for short money. Great! However, the pasta was soo overcooked that it was just mush. Tried it twice, and the same thing happened.
Tremezzo Pizza Wilmington. Recommended, but not really a dine-in place.

"There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

    - J.R.R. Tolkien