Return of the Mac
DEVIN WEEKS/Press Taphouse Unchained assistant manager Sage Jensen hands out mac and cheese balls faster than you can say “That’s so cheesy” during the second Mac and Cheese Festival on Saturday.
Tiramisu dessert mac, a culinary invention of Bardenay, is slightly sweet and crisp on the outside with little pasta beads on the inside. Kudos for the creativity. (DEVIN WEEKS/Press)
Forgive me if this sounds cheesy — oh, and it will — but whoever dreamed up the Mac and Cheese Festival is a genius.
Never in my 33 years in North Idaho have I seen such packed streets and stores in downtown Coeur d’Alene in the middle of JANUARY. Lines 80 people deep spilling out of buildings onto sidewalks and around corners, people cozying up to complete strangers and chitchatting away while waiting for mac samples and beer or cider refills. During a time of year when cabin fever is rampant, our need for social interaction is as big as our craving for delicious pasta dishes.
The Mac and Cheese Fest, in its second year, sold out before it even started. The Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association doubled the amount of tickets to 2,000, added a cruise night and expanded the festival beyond The Resort Plaza Shops into several other shops, galleries and restaurants in the downtown corridor (handy map included!) and it still sold out.
Sheer. Genius.
When I think of mac ‘n’ cheese, my mind instantly goes to my Grandma Eileen’s kitchen where only the most delicious meals were made (miss you, Grandma!). Now my mom makes Grandma’s recipe, a mouth-watering dish of tender pasta shells, a creamy cheese sauce, a dash of pepper and a sprinkle of love.
But the main ingredient in mac ‘n’ cheese isn’t the mac, or even the cheese. It’s the comfort, that familiar feeling that makes us close our eyes as a satisfied “mmmm” escapes from deep within.
Yet 14 local eateries and caterers took that comfort and turned it on its head on Saturday, from the mild to the wild, in search of the recipe that would earn the coveted People’s Choice Noodle award for the top mac-maker. They broke out of the comfort zone to treat their guests to a macaronis au fromage flavor field day.
Offerings included the Cajun shrimp mac made by Fort Ground Grill and served in Vault Coffee, brisket beer mac with pearl onions and quail egg made by and served in Honey Eatery, smoky barbecue mac flatbread by Mangia Catering served in the Art Spirit Gallery and classic mac with braised beef made by Copper Mac and Cheese and served outside of the Tasting Room in the Shops.
T-Blue Boutique featured the pepper jack bacon mac created by Drummin’ Up BBQ. It was tender and creamy with a french-fried onion topping and a slight kick of heat.
The lobster mac in Angel Gallery, crafted by Paragon Brewing, was a delightful mix of ditalini pasta, Gruyère and cheddar cheeses and chunks of flavorful lobster.
Bardenay really took people on a food-venture with tiramisu dessert mac, found in Woops! Bakeshop. Deep-fried balls with little beads of pasta inside, a semi-sweet, slightly crunchy exterior and a gentle dusting of cocoa and chocolate. A little funky, but bonus points for being creative, Bardenay.
And that’s a big point of the festival — creativity. North Idaho peeps are always excited to try new things and check out the chops of local chefs. With an endless number of ingredients and flavor profiles, the mac ‘n’ cheese challenge is only going to get more interesting from here.
New Orleans has Mardi Gras. Pullman has the National Lentil Festival. Maybe Coeur d'Alene's Mac and Cheese Festival will be a beacon that unites mac 'n' cheese lovers on a cosmic scale. It'll be exciting to see how it evolves from here.
More cheese? Yes, please!