#82 – MAC AND CHEESE at WOODWORK

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

SADLY, WOODWORK IS NOW CLOSED.

Sports bars have an unmistakable vibe. Frat boys, cheap generic beer, and more televisions than customers. Those are the things I think about and usually the reasons I avoid sports bars altogether. Although the main reason is that I just don’t care about sports. But I do care about food. So if a sports bar can create an interesting dish that is worth traveling for, I’ll deal with screaming football fans and the smell of dried Bud Light.

Woodwork in Prospect Heights is a sports bar that focuses on the most popular sport in the world (and possibly the most mild-mannered aside from golf) – soccer.

The mac and cheese at Woodwork has been raved about on many other sites and of course, is one of Time Out’s top 100 dishes from last year. It was listed in their complete list online (as opposed to their print article), so they didn’t go into too much detail as to what to expect. And when we arrived to the surprisingly quiet, quaint neighborhood bar (it was around 4:00 on a Saturday) we faced a very short food menu, but with a few options for mac and cheese. We could have it plain, with pulled pork, or with chorizo. When the words pulled pork come into play, it’s pretty hard for me to resist.

It was listed as a 5 Cheese Truffle Mac and Cheese. When we received it, I was surprised it was served with a side of bread. I guess since this is one of their few entrees, they try to fill us up as much as possible. I love mac and cheeses that have a crisp, slightly burnt crust that gives way to rich delectable pasta. I thought it was pretty brilliant that the only crust here was the crispy, meaty pulled pork on top. The meat was slightly overcooked (which gave it that crisp sensation), but it had lots of flavor and the tang from the sauce cut the richness of the macaroni. The aromatic truffle oil imparted a unique earthy quality that didn’t overwhelm the dish.

While incredibly creamy and cheesy, there wasn’t much of an elastic cheesy pull in each forkful. I missed that at first, but this is a different type of mac and cheese. It’s carefully composed and richly flavored. I’d be happy eating this at a proper sit-down restaurant, let alone a sports bar.

This is my kind of sports bar. I counted only three television sets and they were all on mute. The beers on tap were more palatable craft microbrews; aside from the patriotic flags outside nobody was declaring any loyalty; and the food, while limited, was quite good. I like Woodwork’s vibe.

Would Woodwork’s Mac and Cheese make my Top 100 of the year? It’s definitely the best mac and cheese I’ve had this year with lots of refined flavors juxtaposed with Southern comfort earning it an 8 out of 10.