Business & Tech
Which Area Restaurant is Your Mac (and Cheese) Daddy?
This week, our taster dove into three plates of grown-up macaroni and cheese.
See next week's food challenge at the bottom of this column, comment below and enter to win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. For more rules and details, see the guidelines.
, 9545 W Saint Francis Rd., Frankfort
The mac-n-cheese at Jameson's was an appealing yellow cheddar color and served with garlic toast. Unfortunately, the elbow macaroni was very soft, and a thin cheese sauce didn't have the body to save the dish. The bread crumbs did add some texture, but most of them were burned, so I had to push them aside anyway.
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The good: The cheese sauce was smooth (though it did get a bit grainy when it cooled off).
The bad: A weak sauce tossed with overcooked macaroni is suitable only for those recovering from surgery.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
, 19826 La Grange Rd., Mokena
The three cheese penne pasta at Applebee's arrived with chicken, diced tomatoes and a tough little breadstick. The penne was cooked al dente, thankfully, but the sauce was a bit thinner and more garlicy than I was expecting; it was more of an alfredo sauce.
The good: The tomatoes and chicken made for a nice, varied dish that felt like a meal.
The bad: The sauce, though abundant, was thin and not cheesy enough.
, 2101 Calistoga Dr., New Lenox
The baked macaroni and cheese at Charleston's consisted of perfectly cooked gomiti in a flavorful cheddar sauce. And, as a nice bonus, it was served with salad or soup.
The good: Al dente pasta stood up well to a rich, creamy cheese sauce, which also happened to taste very nice with a Robert the Bruce from Three Floyds.
The bad: An abundance of bread crumbs, perhaps intended to give the dish texture, ended up making the macaroni and cheese sandy.
THE WINNER: Although the breadcrumbs gave the dish an unappealing texture, the tastiness of their cheese sauce made Charleston's Bar & Grill the winner.
Looking for local eats? Do you disagree with our taster? Head over to your local Patch Places food and dining directory. Find new spots, read reviews and even post a your own reviews on the profile pages.
This week's cooldown reminded us how much we're looking forward to summer, so next week we're tasting sundaes. Which place has the best sundae in Frankfort, Mokena or New Lenox? Commenting below automatically enters you for a chance to win a $50 gift card to a featured restaurant.
