Not Your Typical Mac and Cheese!

Bet you never had macaroni and cheese like this as a kid! This establishment will keep you coming back for more with their scrumptious varieties of this classic dish.

I was at Boxcar Lounge with my happy hour group enjoying their Buy One - Get One Drink special when some of us got rather hungry. After perusing the menus, it was decided to order from Sarita's Macaroni and Cheese, also known as S'Mac. (It didn't hurt that a couple had brought in a serving to eat upon arriving at the bar. It smelled so good it was hard not to order from the same place that they had!) From the moment of delivery my new addiction had begun. I had the opportunity to sample the more traditional four cheese which was delicious but my heart was sold when I tried the Parisienne. Described as 'Mac-n-Cheese for the "upper crust"' this dish consists of creamy Brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. These are things I would not ordinarily think of mixing up but when I took my first bite it was evident that they belong together! S'Mac has many other varieties to try or you can choose your own ingredients and create your own. I cannot wait to order from them again!

Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese is located at 345 East 12th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. You can view more details on their website at www.smacnyc.com.

As for the Boxcar Lounge, located at 168 Ave. B (between 10th and 11th Streets), it is an excellent Happy Hour spot. They have a more extended happy hour special than most which goes till 10pm or 8pm depending on the day of the week. Their drink special is Two for One drinks per person on most items at the bar.

This lounge is appropriately named as it is a rather narrow space with a bar in front followed by some seats to lounge in towards the back. There is also a heated outdoor garden so there is plenty of room for all the happy hour revellers to gather and let off some steam after work. For more info check out their website: www.boxcarlounge.com.