Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. It's the ultimate comfort food - creamy, cheesy, starchy, and nourishing. There are so many different ways to make it; I personally have four recipes. There's the one that's been in my family for at least four generations - gooey cheese sauce made from scratch on the stove, mixed with the noodles and then baked - and then I also have microwave, crock pot, and stovetop versions. That's not even counting the kinds that come in a box.

I like to add things to my macaroni and cheese, and often I don't use macaroni. I'll use rotini or penne. My favorite is vegetable rotini - it's made with zucchini puree mixed into the noodles for some extra veggie goodness. I also sometimes like to add broccoli or asparagus.

Over the past few weeks, I've been way too busy and exhausted to cook, and I've been massively craving mac and cheese. As a result, I've tried mac and cheese recipes from various restaurants in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Here's a review of what I've had lately:

1. Arcadia Tavern - I get together every now and then with a few friends on Tuesday nights because they have trivia night. We eat greasy food and sugary cookies and show off our knowledge. We usually do pretty well at trivia, which keeps us coming back because we win gift cards. This is the best place in Phoenix to get mac and cheese. The first time I tried it, I ordered off the kids menu, and it was only so-so - fake cheese taste. But last time, I ordered off the adult menu, and they use the good cheese, and there are options for add-ins. I did mushrooms, and it was delicious. The portions are enormous.
2. People Pizza Pub - It's been a while since I've been here, and the place is under new management now, but when I went, I was very impressed with the macaroni and cheese. There are several varieties, with various add-ins. I did mushroom, and I really enjoyed it. It's baked, so it's crispy on top. The portions are small but very filling.
3. Good Wood Tavern - The mac and cheese is basic but delicious. It's rotini, not macaroni, and the sauce has a cheddar-parmesan flavor to it. A little saltier than the other two, which is why I bumped it down to third place.
4. Red Robin - The macaroni and cheese isn't a full-on menu item. It's a side dish. I ordered a side of mac and cheese and a side of broccoli. They were both about the size of a cup of soup. The mac and cheese was pretty good, but it was of noticeably lower quality than the other options.
5. Panera Bread - The sauce is good - creamy with just the right amount of cheese, but the noodles are often a little on the mushy side. It's a good option if there's nothing else around, but it's not my first choice.
6. Wildflower Bread Company - Mac and cheese just got added to the menu, and I had high hopes because I love all the other pasta dishes I've tried. I was a bit disappointed. The sauce was bland and way too salty. (And if I think something is too salty, it's extra too salty because I love salt.) I'll stick to the other pasta dishes in the future.

There you have it - the quick review of macaroni and cheese in the desert. The results show that if you want good gooey cheesy noodles, go to a drinking establishment. The taverns/pubs had good offerings, the chain restaurant and the cafes were a bit lacking.

As far as where the family recipe fits in the list, it depends on who makes it. If I make it, it sits between Good Wood and Red Robin. If my mom makes it, it sits between Pizza People and Good Wood. Back when my dearly departed great grandmother made it, she was even ahead of Arcadia Tavern.