Mac ‘n’ Cheese S’Mac’down at icon Grill

To me, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food.  It’s warm, creamy and tasty, and, depending on the type of cheese and other ingredients, can be sweet and smooth, or sharp and spicy.   Every restaurant and every person seem to have their own favorite combination, but I’m just glad that the interest in the mac ‘n’ cheese means that I can find it on so many menus around Seattle.

It’s no surprise, then, that I’m excited about icon Grill’s Ultimate S’Mac’down, a riff off the NCAA March Madness theme.  Only instead of a college basketball tournament, we’ve got a battle of comfort food.

Here’s how it will work:

Home chefs are invited to enter their “gooey-est, cheesiest, most over-the-top decadent macaroni and cheese ideas” to icon Grill Executive Chef, Nick Musser during January and February 2010.  Chef Nick will review all entries, selecting the Final Four to be featured on the restaurant’s fresh sheet during the month of March.  That’s right, you’re mac ‘n’ cheese idea could wind up being served at icon Grill.

Put your creative cooking cap on, and see what you can come up.  It can be a simple turn on a classic, the addition of some gourmet touches, or something totally crazy.  The entries will be judged on the most original, inventive macaroni and cheese concept.  Oh yeah, it has to be edible too!

The entry form will be on the icon Grill website starting January 1st, 2010, with complete rules and procedures explained.  Once the Final Four has been chosen, restaurant guests can vote at the restaurant and there will also be online voting.  The S’Mac’down winner will receive a $100 gift certificate, a bottle of wine, a signed copy of Aroused Americana Cooking (2006 Edition-icon Grill & Zephyr Grill & Bar), and more bragging rights than you can possibly imagine.  All four finalists will receive a Golden Macaroni trophy.

Location:  1933 Fifth Avenue, downtown (map)

Photo credit: SXC