Stuff yourself with the ultimate comfort food – Mac & Cheese Fest

Sat – Oct 4th – UIC Forum – 12-3pm

English: Slices of macaroni and cheese pizza s...
English: Slices of macaroni and cheese pizza served at CiCi’s restaurant in Rochester, Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia

Who doesn’t love mac & cheese? It was a go-to choice for my kids growing up. I remember being appalled at the amount of butter called for on the Kraft® box, so I always cut that in half and added some grated cheddar cheese. Amazingly, the dish is still a favorite with them, even though they’re long grown up.

My mom used to make her homemade version for us nine kids on our Catholic meatless Fridays. She boiled some good old elbow macaroni ‘til it was mushy, then laced it with a bit of butter (later, when life took one of its strange twists and my milkman dad stopped bringing home free butter, with margarine) and a little bit of grated government-issued American cheese.

No offense, mom-up-in-heaven, the stuff from the box tasted way better.

But soon you and I will have a chance to taste – all we can eat, really – of chef-created new approaches to this glorious food. The first annual Mac & Cheese Chicago Fest to be held Saturday, October 4 at UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., will feature approximately 60 Chicago chefs bringing us their versions of Mac and Cheese. We’ll find dishes direct their restaurant’s menu and/or inspired by their particular culture or family traditions.

Don’t think you’ll see just Kraft-type straight cylindrical or grandma’s curved-stovepipe shapes. These chefs are invited to build their creations from any kind of pasta with any type of cheese. You and a panel of foodies will vote for your favorites – and the winner will take home “The Golden Noodle” award.

Come on out and sample the huge selection of macaroni and cheese entrees, appetizers and sides and wash ‘em all down with craft beers, wines and soft drinks. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. Below are some of the participating restaurants:

676 Restaurant and Bar
American Junkie
Bar Pastoral
Big G’s Pizza
Barn & Company
Black Rock Pub & Kitchen
Blackfinn Ameripub
BourBonQue
Carlucci Restaurant & Bar
Carnivale
Chicago Q
Connie’s Pizza
deca Restaurant + Bar
Enolo Wine Bar
ESTATE Ultra Bar
Famous Dave’s
Farmhouse Tavern
Fiesta Mexicana Restaurants
Grange Hall Burger Bar
Halsted’s Bar + Grill
Jake Melnick’s
JP Burkes Patio & Tap
Kitty O’Sheas
Meat
Municipal Bar
Orso’s Restaurant
Park Tavern
Puffs of Doom
Real Comfort American Kitchen
Rockit Bar & Grill
RoSal’s
Rudy’s Bar and Grille
Schubas’ Harmony Grill
South Water Kitchen
Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap
State Restaurant
Table Fifty-Two
The Kerryman Bar & Restaurant
The Southern
Ugly Mug Café
Viand Chicago
and more!

To sponsor, contact Cece Gonzales for information at 312.730.8262 or cece@raymiproductions.com.