Meet the winners of the Atlanta Mac and Cheese Festival
The fest is over, but you can pick up some of the top-rated dishes from local restaurants while you wait for next year
Most importantly, the event raised over $26,000 for Neighbor in Need, a local organization providing emergency home repairs to elderly, low-income residents of Edgewood, East Lake, Kirkwood, East Atlanta, and Oakhurst.
Attendees voted on the best mac at the fest, and three winners emerged. Here, a look at our city’s best cheesy delights, plus one out-of-towner and an editor’s pick for good measure.
Illegal Food
This underground pop-up turned VaHi standby maintained long lines throughout the day and still managed to be the last kiosk serving. Winning first place in the VIP and People’s Choice contest, their seriously decadent five cheese mac featured elbow pasta and a secret spice blend, topped with house cured beef bacon and served with an optional shot of whiskey. Variations on the winning recipe can be found on their rotating menu. At Sunday brunch, it’s served with two slices of bacon and a sunny side egg. www.illegalfoodatlanta.com
Bald Headed Bistro
Sadly, you’ll have to travel two hours to Cleveland, Tennessee to get more of this silver medal mac, which is a menu staple at the cozy bistro that regularly features Atlanta chefs at their guest chef dinners. But the creamy consistency and perfect amount of crust might just be worth the drive. Chef Eric Fulkerson prepped 40 pounds of macaroni, 20 pounds of caramelized onions and bacon (he calls it “mac jam”), and 16 gallons of gouda cheese sauce to make over 1,100 portions for the festival. www.baldheadedbistro.com
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q
Rounding out third place for the People’s Choice, Fox Bros served up their beloved mac and cheese with a twist, adding their signature hickory smoked pork to the mix along with bacon, hatch chile and cheesy cracklin’ crunch for a seriously meaty recipe with a hint of fire. You can go DIY on this one at the brick and morter by ordering a side of their classic mac and adding your own pulled pork. Voilà! www.foxbrosbbq.com
Dish Dive
Bonus pick! We loved the understated blend of sharp cheddar and smoked gouda, served on rigatoni with crispy parmesan herb crumbs sprinkled on top. Suitable for vegetarians with just the right amount of kick at the end, the dish ran out quickly at the fest, but is featured on the Dekalb Ave hideaway’s fall menu. Try it before it’s gone! www.dishdivekitchen.com
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