Quest

Mac Attack

In search of the city’s cheesiest comfort food By Signe Langford

High cheese: Trevor Kitchen and Bar's perfect pasta
Image credit: James Reid

It’s the ne plus ultra of starch and fat, as modest as Kraft Dinner or as magnificent as a bowl of Genoan maccheroni and farmhouse cheese under a crispy gratinéed croûte. Warming, rich, delectable and almost always casual, few dishes say autumn like macaroni and cheese. We’ve found four of the best.

The Place	The Plate	The Goods	The Verdict
Weezie's 354 King St. E., 416-777-9339	Macaroni gratin, $14	Elbow mac in a parm and asiago sauce, shot through with bacon and topped with a flame-licked asiago crust	A bit puny, and the bacon would better serve as a garnish, but still satisfying
The Rebel House 1068 Yonge St., 416-927-0704	Ol’ Macki’s Back, $9.95	Rigatoni, chopped tomato and scallion in a creamy cheddar sauce, dusted with parmesan. Comes with cornbread, green salad or chips	While it ain’t pretty, it’s tasty and portioned for lumberjacks. Great-value rustic comfort
Carens Wine and Cheese Bar 158 Cumberland St., 416-962-5158	Spicy baked mac and cheese, $16	Perfectly al dente penne in a super-creamy sauce of cheddar, São Miguel, Swiss and parmigiano-reggiano cheeses, topped with a liberal sprinkling of chili flakes	So very Yorkville: elegant, rich, delicious, a little flash and a bit of spice
Trevor Kitchen and Bar 38 Wellington St. E., 416-941-9410	Macaroni and asiago cheese, $11	Gemelli, asiago, cheddar, parm-regg and pecorino are brilliantly bound in 35 per cent cream, wine, shallots, thyme and garlic	With multi-layered complexity and beautifully balanced flavours, this one’s the winnerL

Originally published October 2007

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