FOOD/TREND CRAZY MAC AND CHEESE After spending decades chilling with chicken nuggets and PB&J on the kids’ menu, mac and cheese has finally grown up. Forget the neon orange, powdered, box versions of yesteryear, now most restaurants feature a variation of the gooey comfort food with specialty cheeses like gruyere or truffled white cheddar. It should be no surprise, then, that the resurrection of this childhood staple has brought an influx of innoodle-vation. Recently the Huffington Post ran a piece titled “10 Things to Do With Mac and Cheese Before You Die,” which showcased everything from mac and cheese sushi—which utilizes cheesy noodles in place of rice—to ketchup-glistened, mac and cheese meatloaf. Boise’s Pie Hole has jumped on the crazy mac and cheese train, offering a mac and cheese past-za. “We do it as just a slice of the day ... People come in all the time and ask about it. We’ve taken numbers before and whenever we make it, we’ll just give someone a call,” said Ally Resch, manager at downtown Pie Hole. The Basque Market also features a mac and cheeky take on the classic: mac and cheese croquetas. “First Thursday landed on April Fools Day and so we tried to make everything look like a Basque food, but it was something that is typically American,” explained Basque Market employee Kyle Harbacheck. The Basque Market makes its mac and cheese with asiago or manchego, lets it cool, then forms it into balls, rolls them in breadcrumbs and drops them in the deep fryer. —Tara Morgan
Mac and cheese croquetas from the Basque Market.
30 | MAY 18–24, 2011 | BOISEweekly
FOOD/BEER GUZZLER
BOMBERS ARE BETTER Craft breweries like to put their beer (especially seasonal and specialty releases) in the bigger 22-ounce format. Two new-to-Boise Oregon breweries recently arrived on the scene with a trio of bombers. Alameda Brewhouse hails from the micro-brew mecca of Portland, Ore., while Cascade Lakes Brewing Company is originally out of Redmond, Wash., but also has a presence in Bend, Ore. Here’s what’s new: ALAMEDA BLACK BEAR XX STOUT No light passes through this black-as-night ebony pour, which has a thick mocha head that collapses fairly fast but leaves a nice crema-like lacing. The aromas are a mix of chocolate malt and cappuccino with a soft bit of spice and rye. Smooth and silky in the mouth, you’ll taste creamy dark chocolate, sweet espresso and berry, backed by a pleasantly bitter hit of hops. The finish is light but lingers nicely. ALAMEDA YELLOW WOLF IMPERIAL IPA This beer pours a bright yellow with an orange tint and a thin but persistent head. The aromas are a balanced mix of floral hops and smooth, biscuity malt. The hop profile on the palate is definitely robust but not overly bitter, and it’s backed by soft citrus and just sweet malt. Those hops definitely hang around on a finish that’s colored by touches of orange zest and pine resin. CASCADE LAKES INDIA PALE ALE This clear, light gold pour is topped with just a hint of cream-colored froth and features subtle aromas of pine-laced hops and grain. It’s low in carbonation, which explains the thin head, but it makes for an easydrinking ale that won’t fill you up. The hop flavors are smooth and floral but a little on the soft side, especially for a Northwest IPA. Malt and grain lurk in the background, and there’s a nice touch of grapefruit on the finish. —David Kirkpatrick WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M