The Mac Shack

I was quite impressed with the simple storefront; it seemed appropriate for the comfort food served inside. I actually thought the construction barricades in the front were part of the decor. The colour theme goes very well with the restaurant, don't you think?

It was very busy and almost every table was filled — not surprising for a Saturday evening. There were mainly 2 options for diners: build your own mac or order from the set menu. I also noticed grilled cheese sandwich (mac and cheese inside a grilled ciabatta bun) and a few salads on the menu, but there was no way I was going to pass up eating mac and cheese from a skillet. I didn't want to build my own mac because I couldn't be bothered to come up with my own combinations. It involved too many choices and every addition of meat, seafood, veggies and sauces would cost extra. I found the set menu to be much better value. There were 3 sizes: regular (feeds 1), ultimate (feeds 1-2), and jumbo (feeds 3-4). The following is an ultimate size of "the veggie" ($11) with gruyere and cheddar cheese and an assortment of veggies including broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. It was the lighter pasta of the meal (though not very light by normal standards) because of the slightly tart tomato-based sauce.

The regular size "lobster mac" ($15) was the most expensive choice on the set menu, but I got my money's worth of lobster. Just look at all those tender orange-red chunks on top! I liked this dish a lot more than the other one because of the rich and savoury cream sauce and truffle oil. Unfortunately those ingredients in addition to the creamy asiago and cheddar made the dish extremely heavy and filling, so I didn't get to eat as much as I would have liked. I don't think the mushrooms we got were oyster mushrooms, but in any case I was happy that I managed to eat them (one of my most detested foods) because the cheese and sauces completely overwhelmed the grassy mushroom flavour. I think there was lemon and dill in there too, but I honestly couldn't taste them.

I don't know why I had the nagging feeling that the skillet brownie ($5.90) would not be available. Luckily my 6th sense was not working well that day and I got to indulge in some chocolaty goodness. I have to admit that I was initially a bit concerned about ordering dessert at a place that only sells mac and cheese. What are the chances it would taste good? Well I took the risk and the brownie was amazing. It was like a warm and crumbly chocolate cookie fresh out of the oven with a very subtle sweetness. The raspberry and chocolate sauce drizzled across the top really complemented the brownie, and the vanilla bean gelato was delicious as well (with actual specks of vanilla bean inside!).

I have to say that service was not the best, considering the place is pretty much a self-serve cafe with a walk-up counter for ordering. I had to ask someone to clean the table and I had to ask for water, but the upside was that I didn't have to pay tips. I had a severe case of epigastric pain after the meal, so the food was definitely too heavy and filling for me. I'm used to high carb intake, but the pasta and creamy sauce and several different types of cheese all mixed together was just too much. (Or maybe I should have passed on the brownie, but that's just unthinkable!) Tasty food comes at a price. It's rare that something could be healthy and taste good at the same time. One example I can think of is the raw vegan high tea at Indigo Food Cafe. That reminds me, I should go back soon for a delicious and detoxifying meal!