Mmmmm, mac and cheese

COEUR d’ALENE — Thousands of people hit the streets of downtown Coeur d’Alene on Saturday for what proved to be a bit of a scavenger hunt.

The prize? Liquid gold.

It was the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association’s sixth annual Mac & Cheese Festival, featuring dishes prepared by local chefs competing for the coveted Golden Noodle Award.

This year, the 18 tasting stations were tucked away inside different downtown shops. Attendees of the sold-out festival also had the chance to sample craft beers and vote for their favorites to choose the People’s Choice winner.

Coeur d’Alene resident Patricia Richardson has judged the competition in the past. This was her first time as a regular attendee.

“I just come for the beer,” she said with a laugh. “The mac and cheese is extra.”

For Richardson, the standout was a cider-braised pork shoulder macaroni and cheese dish from Cosmic Cowboy Grill.

But even better than the beer and food was the opportunity to get out on a cloudy January day and explore downtown Coeur d’Alene.

“It’s a great way to try different things,” Richardson said.

Michelle Clausen and her daughters, Emily and Gianna, were of the same mindset this year when they decided to attend the festival for the first time.

“It gets you into stores you wouldn’t have been in before,” Clauson said.

Locals weren’t the only ones who flocked to the festival. Michael Hodge of Spokane last attended in 2020. This year, he bought tickets for his brother as a Christmas gift.

“Some of the macaroni is extra tasty,” he said. “It’s even better this year.”

Emily Boyd, director of the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, has been there since the beginning.

“When we first started, we had to cold call restaurants,” she said.

Back then, nobody guessed the festival would be a smash hit that attracted thousands. Now many restaurants apply to take part and organizers hand-select the participants.

The 2023 festival sold around 2,000 tickets.

Boyd suspects the event has grown so popular because of the combination of an everyday — though elevated — favorite food and the uniqueness of its presentation.

“How much fun is that?” she said.

Pow’Waw Food Truck won the Golden Noodle this year, while the People’s Choice winner was Kootenai Health Cafe.