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Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange: Smoked Gouda Bacon Mac & Cheese, $11

By Glen Macnow

Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange
7152 Germantown Avenue, Mount Airy

 

Who doesn't love mac and cheese? Brings back childhood memories – a rainy day, a heaping bowl of warmth, perhaps accompanied to tomato soup. Ahh, the good life.

This Mount Airy comfort food spot, which has also a fine beer list, does it spectacularly. The smoked Gouda gives it, shall we say, a more mature flavor than your basic box of Kraft, or any other mac and cheese you're likely to try. And the crunch of bacon takes it to another level.

We are told this place uses Benton's Smokey Bacon from Tennessee – which is really the good stuff. The dish comes in a hot cast-iron skillet, which keeps it piping. And the bacon is so generously spread throughout that you won't pull out a spoonful without at least a few bits.

All in all a big winner. We also enjoyed the Fried Green Tomato BLT at $11, although we didn't taste any of the Tabasco mayo it allegedly had.

One note: We also checked out the Gouda Mac and Cheese at the Falls Tap Room in East Falls, before we learned that the two restaurants are run by the same folks. Could have fooled us. As good as the dish was in Mount Airy, it was mediocre in East Falls. Someone needs to step up the quality control.

 

Scores:

Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange: 91/100

East Falls Tap Room: 75/100

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