So macaroni and cheese is a perfect food to consume when surrounded by grief. My Aunt Delphine passed away last week. She was 83 and lead a truly amazing, grace-filled life. This weekend was a whirlwind of precious time with family, celebrating her.
On Thursday, after the viewing, family gathered at a nearby alehouse in Bothell. I don't make it up to Bothell often, but was impressed right away. My kind of spot. The Main Street Alehouse has a fantastic tap selection, a menu full of comforting pub grub, several large screens to watch the game, and they graciously accommodated our large party. I can't remember the final count, but our group was in the mid-high teens.
The best surprise was the bowls of warm potato chips, house-made. I can easily pass up a bowl of Lays, and most of the time even Tim's Cascade doesn't quite do it for me. But these were little slices of calorie-laden heaven. Betcha can't eat just one? More like betcha can't stop eating them at all. So good!
My mom noted the mac 'n' cheese on the menu, and my cousin Wayne and I waxed poetic about it's culinary goodness. I briefly explained this blog and our passion for this dish. I had a soccer game later in the evening, so stuck with a half-order and a few bites of my Mom's house salad with fresh vinaigrette. The half order was plenty. I liked the choice of penne as the pasta itself. The cheddar cheese was classic - a good cheesy sauce. And the pieces of bacon gave just that extra bit of smokey goodness - I had no problem finishing the whole bowl. And still felt fine running around the soccer field an hour and half later.
The Main Street Alehouse is a fantastic restaurant. Definitely worth a trip outside Seattle city-limits for this one!
