S'MAC

In my perfect world, macaroni and cheese would be an integral part of a healthy diet. That’s why when I heard there was a restaurant devoted solely to the art of macaroni and cheese, I went running.

S’MAC (short for Sarita’s Mac and Cheese) is a tiny, casual eatery on East 12th that’ll hit you with the smell of butter, comfort, and happiness the moment you open the front door. The orange and yellow theme and the bright overhead lights only add to the warmth of the atmosphere (well, until you get to the grouchy cashier, that is).

But back to the happy part: After spending a few minutes salivating over the 12 recommended dishes, ranging from the simple American (American and cheddar cheese) to the Alpine (gruyere and slab bacon) to the Garden Lite (lite cheddar, parmesan, roasted cauliflower, portabello mushrooms, roasted garlic, broccoli, and scallions), then moving on to the overwhelming realization that you can also create your own masterpiece (choose from 14 cheeses and 20 mix-ins), you can stumble wide-eyed to the counter to place your order, specifying size (mac is served in 4 skillet sizes: nosh, major munch, mongo, and partay), noodle type (elbow or whole wheat), and breadcrumbs or no breadcrumbs. You then stand with your number waiting to claim the next table that opens up, while eying everyone else’s food to make sure you made the best choice possible.

I went with the American, keeping it simple to ensure that I could judge the place based on the basics without getting thrown off by crazy mix-ins like olives and buffalo chicken. My dining partner went out on a limb and ordered the Parisienne, made with creamy brie, roasted figs and shiitake mushrooms, and fresh rosemary. I was pleased with my choice, as Stephanie’s pasta was good for one bite, but a little too intense for a full meal. My only regret is not going for the major munch size, though I’m sure my body appreciates being spared such gluttony.

Atlantic Antic '09

Atlantic Antic is no joke, people.

I headed to Brooklyn last weekend expecting food, music, and the typical street fair vendors that infiltrate the streets of New York every weekend. What I didn’t expect is that the festival would be so big that I’d be worn out after walking the whole thing (granted, I did do a lot of backtracking when pondering my culinary options).

The festival spanned 10 blocks of Atlantic Avenue from 4th Avenue in Boerum Hill to Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights and featured ten live entertainment stages (all incredible and reflecting a wide range of musical tastes), more than 600 vendors, a plethora of heart attack-inducing foods, and even moon bounces (if only I could’ve jumped around with all the other elementary school kids without exceeding the weight limit!).

Additionally, the New York Transit Museum celebrated its 16th annual bus festival , displaying a collection of vintage buses dating all the way back to 1917. It was just so cute to see all the transit employees proudly standing in front of the retro buses and inviting onlookers to climb aboard. My fave was definitely the Park Avenue bus of the ‘50s.

My number one find of the festival however, was Building on Bond’s food tent. Two options: beef and chorizo burgers or BBQ pork with apple jicama slaw on pretzel bread. I was torn, but I love me some BBQ (and there was a 10 minute wait for the popular burgers), so I jumped right in. I was curious to find out what “pretzel bread” tastes like. All you need to know is that it’s excellent. I happily inhaled my sandwich while sitting on a little stool in the middle of the road and taking in the scenery. I also spent some quality time contemplating whether or not to try the fried twinkie down the street. I decided to save that and the mozzarepa for another day and headed home feeling tired, but also full and accomplished.

New York Musical Theatre Festival

Do you love musicals and gambling?

If the answer is yes, I think I have just the event for you.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival kicked off this week and will continue through October 18th. Featuring shows ranging in topic from the world’s last surviving vampires (The Cure) to hormonal teens at weight-loss camp (Fat Camp), the festival is known for launching musicals such as Altar Boyz to Broadway stardom.

Thus, half the fun of attending the shows comes from trying to figure out which ones will make it big and which ones won’t. And at only $20 a ticket (barely more than the cost of a regular movie ticket these days), you can probably afford to check out more than one.

Pickle Pucker

I am always intrigued by very subject-specific events. Especially when the subject is something weird… Like pickles.

The Lower East Side (around Broome and Essex) will play host to the ninth annual NYC International Pickle Day this Sunday, October 4th. In addition to free pickles of all types, there will be pickled fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses from around the world (and around the corner); as well as demonstrations, educational displays, and a costume contest.

It’s highly likely that I’ll stop by out of curiosity--not only to see what it’s all about, but also to taste some of this pickle ice cream I keep reading about.