Toronto’s most ridiculous mac-and-cheese dishes
Mac and Cheese Week—the most observant celebration for devout dairy and noodle lovers—is in full swing, and we’ve rounded up the city’s most over-the-top takes on the classic comfort food (available all year ’round, because mac and cheese deserves more than seven days). Here, nine ooey-gooey good creations.
Bobbie Sue’s Camp Mac
9This new mac shack on Ossington kicks it old school by adding chunks of all-beef weiners to cheese-smothered cavatappi noodles. They take it one step further with a few squirts of tangy ballpark mustard. $7 and $12. 162 Ossington Ave., #3, 647-352-2762, bobbiesues.com.
Parts and Labour’s Infamous Mac and Cheese
8At Matty Matheson’s Parkdale restaurant, a side of mac and cheese consists of elbow macaroni that’s covered in mornay sauce and good ole American cheddar, then dusted with fluorescent-orange artisanal breadcrumbs—totally kidding, those are crushed Cheetos. $8. 1566 Queen St. W., 416-588-7750, partsandlabour.ca.
Saturday Dinette’s SD Coconut Mac
7Suzanne Barr adds coconut and coconut milk to the mac at her Riverdale diner, along with a blend of cheddar and havarti béchamel. It’s finished with a cornbread crumble, shredded coconut and herbs. $12. 807 Gerrard St. E., 416-465-5959, saturdaydinette.com.
Prohibition Gastrohouse’s Truffle Mac and Cheese
6Here, Vesuvio noodles imported from Italian pasta-maker Afeltra are drenched in a four-cheese sauce (asiago, aged cheddar, l’ermite bleu, boschetto al tartufo), then tarted up with black truffles, fresh herbs, more truffle (oil this time) and a jalapeño cheddar–biscuit crust. $10.95 and $18.95. (Add house-smoked bacon for $3, just because.) 696 Queen St. E., 416-406-2669, myprohibition.com.
Dave’s Pumpkin-Ricotta Gnocchi Mac
5This St. Clair West spot replaces noodles with house-made gnocchi stuffed with ricotta and pumpkin. They’re covered in a rich gorgonzola cream sauce then topped with bread crumbs, parmesan and crispy sage. $15. 730 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-657-3283, davesonstclair.com.
Lisa Marie’s Thai Green Curry Mac
4Matt Basile—who’s already given fries the Thai treatment—fuses the western comfort-food dish with Southeast Asian flavours by swirling house-made coconut curry sauce, bean sprouts, cilantro, pickled jalapeño and lime with semolina macaroni. $13. 638 Queen St. W., 647-748-6822, fidelgastros.com.
Cheesewerk’s Good Morning Mac and Cheese
3This bacon-and-eggy number is the best-selling brunch item at Cheesewerks. Cavatappi noodles are baked with a creamy béchamel infused with local Ontario cheddars (Balderson’s aged and double-smoked), topped with crispy bacon and a sunnyside-up egg, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with artisanal toast crumb. $14. 56 Bathurst St., 416-243-3327, cheesewerks.com.
Cut the Cheese’s Southern Comfort
2At this unfortunately named Junction counter, the cooks drench Barilla elbow macaroni in emmenthal cheese and top it with nuggets of deep-fried buttermilk chicken, roasted bell peppers, sautéed corn, and kicky banana peppers. It’s finished off with house-made bread crumbs and fresh herbs. $11.25. 2901A Dundas St. W., 416-901-7166, cutthecheese.ca.
Junked Food Co.’s Whack Mac
1It should come as no surprise that Junked Food Co. (also known for their ridiculous nachos) serves some over-the-top mac and cheese, too. Their stoner-approved version starts off relatively tame (sage, brie, mozzarella, large elbow macaroni) and then gets crazy, fast (white chocolate, Doritos, Kentucky-bourbon ketchup). 1256 Dundas St. W., 647-343-5326, junkedfoodco.com.
