s’mac

345 East 12th Street, between 1st and 2nd avenues

new york is the ideal locale for niche markets, and east village seems to be the neighborhood of choice for the more mundane-cum-psuedo-haute-cuisine foods. Like the all-hot-dog crif dogs, s’mac (sarita’s mac & cheese) falls into that category.

a lovely 3 minute walk from my apartment is this splash of bright orange. you can order your mac & cheese with trashy american additions like a double-order of hot dog toppings, or in various “sophisticate” forms: with gruyere, brie, or goat cheese. they all come in individual cast iron pans, which for me, is part of why it’s great. the nosh size is definitely enough ($4.25-6.75), with all that creamy cheesiness. i like the bread topping, but you can opt to skip that. on my first visit, i tried the cajun with no additions. it was mm mm good.

if i came every day i’d probably get sick of it and gain 10 lbs, but for a once-in-a-while haute mac&cheese experience, it is totally worth it. thanks, A!