During the offseason the Giants were doing another World Series trophy tour allowing fans to get pictures with both trophies (and selling the photo op pictures making buckets of monies from the fans in the process) and like 2011, I had to get a picture. Remembering the crazy line that had formed at the Lesher Center for the 2010 trophy I once again took the day off to make sure that I had time to get in line early enough and not lose my opportunity to pose slightly incredibly awkwardly with the trophy again.
After I had gotten my picture I decided to try out a sandwich shop that had been recommended to me and headed towards it. Passing restaurant after restaurant I couldn't help but check to see if any had mac and cheese and would thus be added to my list of places to visit. Without even trying I found three new places to stop and I ditched the sandwich shop for a restaurant I'd passed up far to many times that I didn't even know served meals won out. I was further won over by the fact that even if the mac ended up poorly, I had fresh 'home made' ice cream to drown those sorrows away for dessert.
I've managed to walk past The Olde San Francisco Creamery Co. quite a number of times and have even told myself to make it down there when it's a hot day. I'd never successfully completed that mission. Heck, other than it being a very brightly painted building and knowing that there was a 'to-go' window for that drive by ice cream craving I didn't know a thing about it. Did you know they've been featured on the Food Network's Man Vs. Food show because they've got a crazy huge gut busting ice cream bowl? Me either! If this was an ice cream blog I'd be reviewing up the chocolate peanut butter ice cream I had, but think I've got a good thing going with these mac reviews so I best stick to what I know.
The Review
Brand:
The Olde San Francisco Creamery Co. Mac & Cheese
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| One doesn't normally expect to find mac n' cheese at an ice cream shop, but i'm not going to criticize (wait that's exactly what I'm doing), unless they make it a flavor of ice cream. |
Price:
3.99 for a cup, 4.99 for a bowl. I was charged $1.50 for a side substitution.
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| I went with the ninja side substitution for my meal choice. |
A house made sharp cheddar cheese sauce with chopped bacon pieces and cheese pieces with rotini pasta. Finished in the oven with a crispy bread crumb layer on the top.
Preparation:
*How you've ended up in Walnut Creek is a mystery to many, but standing in front of an old fashioned ice cream parlor that serves food has somehow snapped you out of your haze. Enter and wait to be seated.
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| Post a lunch rush, I about had the place to myself. |
*After you've been seated, flip through the menu. While the mac is hiding on the appetizers page, there are all kinds of sandwiches, burgers and other diner type fare. Let the waiter know what you'd like and don't forget to order a meal, but save some room for the ice cream!
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| I was seated towards the back of the restaurant and had a prime view of the chef whipping up my lunch. |
*I didn't have to wait long for my roast beef (with au jous) w/ a side of mac to get served.
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| So. Much. Bacon. |
*Make sure that you let the cup/bowl of mac cool a bit before you dig in. It could be quite hot.
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| Extreme close up... WOAAAAHHHHH |
*Commence with the nomming!
Taste:
With my plate placed in front of me, I was greeted with smells of hot roast beef (and au jous) and bacon. The bacon itself was crispy and tasty. The breadcrumbs on top of the bacon were also toasty and crispy, but didn't have any real flavor to them. Digging below the bacon blanket, I was blinded by some very unnaturally orange sauce. Though bright, the sauce was smooth and creamy had a somewhat processed cheddar-like taste, the sauce made me think of the mild cheddar cheese sauce you'd get with a soft pretzel or nachos. The pasta was cooked and firm.
Final Score:
This mac was a very middle of the road selection. While not great, it wasn't horrible either. The cheese sauce while not bad, just didn't seem to sit quite right to me as a mac 'cheese' sauce. The crispy bacon (the only way to have bacon) and breadcrumbs were nice additions that added to the
Nutritional Information:
The restaurant did not have any kind of nutritional information on their menu or their website. This was cheesy, loaded with bacon and had a cheesy sauce, colored by the bleeding crayons of twenty toddlers.
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