Okay, so we know the weather's been way weird this autumn, but it's finally starting to get a bit nippy out there.
So how do you cope when it gets dark early, when you're bundled up against the cold and winter devastation starts seeming endless?
We know how we cope. With some delicious, creamy, cheesy, mac and cheese, of course.
Seriously, we're going to battle against seasonal depression, and comfort food is our most resilient weapon. What we mean is, nothing can cheer us up when it's freezing and dark outside like a nice, hefty bowl of steaming hot mac and cheese.
In fact, we tend to get ecstatic, unstoppably crazed when there's a good bowl of mac and cheese in front of us.
Are we lucky to live in a city with so many unique mac and cheese shops? You bet your bottom dollar we are. It'll be a sad day when the only place we can get mac and cheese is Panera (although we've got to admit the mac and cheese there is pretty good...)
So let's rejoice that there are so many awesome mac and cheese joints in this city. Read on to find out what they are.
1. S'mac (various NYC locations)
dwight_kenneth Just got S'MAC(ed) with all this cheese! Layers of flavor in this delicious nosh topped with breadcrumbs and baked to perfection. #SMAC #SaritasMacAndCheese
Here's how it works at S'mac. You choose between "Nosh," "Major Munch," "Mongo," and "Partay!" These names are very fun, but you will be fully satisfied from the nosh size. At least, we were.
Once you've decided how much creamy, delicious, cheese drenched noodles you'd like to consume, you choose between these luscious flavors. There's a 4 cheese, la mancha, garden lite, and where our hearts really lie: buffalo chicken.
Really, there's one word to describe this heavenly restaurant: drool. Okay, there's another one: swoon. We absolutely can't get enough of S'mac. They've got an East Village location and a Murray Hill location. Holla to the east side.
2. Beecher's Handmade Cheese (900 Broadway)
eatlikelocals This is literally the world's best mac and cheese and they even know how to spice it up a little 😏🧀 #eatlikelocals #eatlikelocalsinseattle #localeats #seattle #washington #macncheese #worldsbestmacncheese #mariachimacncheese #pikesplacemarket #beechershandmadecheese
Was someone talking about swooning? Were you too busy eating mac and cheese to talk about anything?
This local cheese making and selling establishment is so much more than excellent. Everyone who works here is super friendly and knowledgeable. They've got amazing, high-end quality mac and cheese.
The mac and cheese here is comforting, delicious, and fancy all at once, which is quite a feat indeed.
It's covered with heavy cheese (as is their grilled cheese). They use penne for their mac and cheese, which is so decadent and thrilling.
Plus, they've got a cozy loft on top of their restaurant where you can feast your eyes on the cheese making process while you feast your belly on that dope mac and cheese.
3. Macbar (54 Prince Street)
macbar_nyc Margarita mac to warm you up on this chilly Saturday! #comfortfood #instagood #noms #macncheese
Are you a mac and cheese obsessive? If so you need to get yourself downtown to Macbar before you even finish reading this. We mean it.
Of course they've got that classic mac and cheese we go bananas over, but they also have more avant-garde concoctions. Anyone want to grab that mac lobsta, or the Mayan chipotle?
Seriously, the Mayan chipotle, piled with chicken diablo, chihuahua cheese, and green onions is unbelievably delicious.
The only downside to this off-the-chain mac and cheese joint is that the actual space is small. So what? Grab your mac and cheese to go and eat it on a bench outside.
4. Mac Shack (901 Fulton Street - Brooklyn)
macshackny Why dont you Have a Macwich for lunch today! Then add Bacon, Chicken, or Beef!! Oh My! #macshackny #doitforthemac #macminis #macncheese #macshacknyc #macwich #foodies #brooklyn #bk #eatingnyc #eatmenownyc #queens #eeeeats #cheatday #cheatdayeats #nycfoodie #nycfat #nycfood #nycfoodgals #foodgasm #munchies #munchiesnyc #eats #nomnomnom #yougottoeatthis
Are there enough good things for us to say about Mac Shack? Okay, so we go wild over the buffalo chicken mac and cheese, but we'll just say in general it's some of the best mac and cheese we've ever eaten.
The jerk chicken mac and cheese is flawless. It woke up like this. Really, we think it must have been taking lessons from Beyoncé, it's so perfect. It's tender chicken paired immaculately with cheese.
We're also way into the lobster claw mac, and of course the bacon mac. It's got a hearty mouthful of bacon in every bite. If you opt for the $12 minis, you get to choose three flavors from their menu. It's a great way to not feel like you missed out on anything.
Also, try their ginger lemonade. It'll wash down all those hearty noodles in a delicious flourish.
,5. Earl's Beer and Cheese (1259 Park Avenue)
Food aside. Heading uptown to Earl's Beer and Cheese is worth heading uptown for just for its eclectic ambiance, dope vibes, and delicious beer.
Did we just say "food aside?" We must have had a moment of temporary insanity. Forgive us. We came here to discuss the food, and that's exactly what we'll do.
The cheese at Earl's Beer and Cheese is specially made, and we're especially enamored by that mac and cheese. It allures us with its savory creaminess and sprinkles of rosemary. It's the real deal.
Plus, they make it with goat cheese, which gives it that extra tangy twist, that keeps us ceaselessly coming back to shove more mac and cheese down our throats.
There are other phenomenal options; the tomato soup is the bomb, and Earl's taco is really something special, but of course the mac and cheese is the main event.
6. Elbow Room (267 Flatbush Avenue - Brooklyn)
elbowroombrooklyn Today's #Special #Mac:: #Meatball Mac $9 come get it while it lasts!!! #macncheese #newark #brooklyn
The mac and cheese at the Elbow Room brings the noise. Specifically, we're all about that chicken tinga mac and cheese. It's got avocado, chicken, and tangy cheese. The flavors and texture are just completely dynamite.
Plus, a completely innovative option is the mushroom mac and cheese. It's completely unique and special. We wanted to buy a pot of it and marry it. Sadly, it turns out you can't marry mac and cheese.
In sum, Elbow Room has eight different flavors of mac and cheese, which range from classic to overwhelming. Oh, you want an example of overwhelming? Let's just say if you order the poutine mac (filled with short rib gravy, yukon French fries, and cheese curds) it'll quickly morph into an obsession.
If you're getting a main course at Morgan's Barbecue, you can grab a dish of mac and cheese on the side. If you're asking for our advice about the situation, though, we'd suggest just skipping Morgan's and getting a large dish of mac and cheese from Elbow Room. Really, you won't regret it.
7. Cafeteria (119 7th Avenue)
cafeterianyc Thank Mac and Cheese it's Thursday! #cafeterianyc #youareyoueat #macattack #cheesy #foodporn #eeeeeats #foodchasers #feedyoursoull #weloveyou #cravings #thirsdays #iconic!
Cafeteria isn't just trendy, though trendy it certainly is. It's also delicious.
We're into the bacon mac and cheese here for its subtle flavoring. It's not overpowering in its bacon-ness, but it's present enough to be delicious. If you want a bacon mac and cheese with domineering bacon-ness, go to Mac Shack.
Mac and cheese enthusiasts: go for the mac attack. Really, do it. That way, you'll get to pick three mac and cheese flavors, and eat to your heart's content. They'll all come out piping hot, and their cheesiness will explode with every bite.
We'd have the mac and cheese here every day if its affects weren't so detrimental to our waistlines, if we're being completely honest about the situation. Getting a reservation here on weekends is the move, because it tends to get packed.
Check out 7 Best Places for Amazing Cheese Plates in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]