mac-n-cheese for dinner; ice cream for dessert

lip s'mac-ing good! specMACular! this cheeser's a pleaser! s'macalicious! pasta-rrific!

yes, scoboco got a little goofy after a delicious dinner at s'mac, the new mac and cheese restaurant on 12th street near 1st avenue that's had lines out the door since it opened last week. we showed up at 5:30 tonight, right before the doors open for dinner, and there was a crowd already waiting outside. and now we know why.

co loved her "mozzarella", with roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic and fresh basil; bo savored every elbow of her "goat cheese", with sauteed spinach, kalamata olives, and roasted garlic. and i wolfed the "brie", with roasted figs, roasted shitakes, fresh rosemary. that's three out of the ten current choices, all near-perfect. and the prices are great. we each got the small (the "nosh") for six or seven bucks, and it was plenty.

the instant, well-deserved popularity of s'mac took owners sarita and caeser (left) by surprise: they've had to cancel lunch for now (better to gear up all day for dinner!) and they don't yet serve the "make your own" menu. but no matter: the two of them are warm and friendly and seem totally unflappable. and their food is terrific... as good as their gimmick. don't expect the lines to go away anytime soon.



afterwards we strolled across 10th street for dessert at sundaes and cones, between 3rd and 4th avenues and also new to the neighborhood (though in this case a brooklyn transplant). dglass and i had gone a few weeks ago and thought it ok, fairly tasty but maybe too subdued, both in the vibe of the store and in the selection, though neither one of us EVER gets too excited about those asian flavors, which this place has in abundance: in addition to green tea, red bean and lychee, there's also wasabi, corn, ginger, etc. anyway, tonight's trip was more successful. bo always LOVES green tea ice cream, and tonight was no exception, even after putting chocolate sprinkles (!) on top. co had mint chip, which was kind of a strange choice for someone who doesn't like mint, but she seemed to enjoy it, and finished the whole thing. me? i hit pay dirt with a scoop of lively, refreshing pineapple ice cream covered in sweet, gooey hot fudge sauce. a totally yummy combo i'm already craving.