Two Mission Mac 'n' Cheeses, Glaring at Each Other Across the Street

Carina Ost

Grub's mac and cheese with add-ins, Cold Stone Creamery style.

​
When my date last week told me he had been craving mac and cheese, I suggested we make a reservation to check out Grub's mac and cheese bar. The idea is brilliant: The basic order is made with white cheddar, sharp cheddar, and Parmesan breadcrumbs ($9), and you get to choose up to 14 toppings (each $1) to add in. We ordered ours with broccoli florets, caramelized onions, applewood-smoked bacon, and sweet peas.

As soon as the dish came to the table, though, my date was disappointed to discover that this wasn't mac and cheese -- it was a pasta dish. The sauce was loose, the pasta shape was off, and there was no solid consistency or crunchy top. It was a fine dish but wouldn't fulfill the craving. Our mood plummeted. Cocktails at Beretta were required.

Carina Ost

The Phoneix's mac and cheese follows the KISS rule.

​Over drinks, I remembered getting a small cup of mac and cheese at the Phoenix Bar during the World Series, when I spotted the bartender sneaking a bowl. I told my date I would be able to redeem myself. The Irish pub just across the street from Grub serves the quintessential baked macaroni and cheese ($11). It was the kind of mac and cheese that you dream about: crunchy top, orange cheddar sauce, a few green onions on top, the aroma of melted cheese.

One whiff, and the craving was fulfilled, the error redeemed, a third date scheduled. The lesson: It's best to keep it simple. While a mac-and-cheese bar sounds alluring, an Irish bar can bring it on better than a trendy upscale diner.

Grub 758 Valencia (at 19th St.), 431-4782, www.grubsf.com.

The Phoenix Bar & Irish Gathering House 811 Valencia (at 19th St.), 695-1811, www.phoenixirishbar.com.