Battle of the Dishes: Macaroni and Cheese

​Macaroni and cheese falls into so many categories: soul food, comfort food, kids’ food, stoner savory, classic side dish, buffet staple, super-inexpensive meal (the cheap boxed version with the neon-orange powdered “cheese”) and easy-to-digest fare for senior citizens.

It’s also a good dish for what ails you: When you’re not feeling well — fighting the symptoms of cold, flu, hangover — a soothing dish of soft noodles and creamy cheese sauce has curative qualities. That’s why an ailing friend requested a carry-out container (above) of the dish called Mom’s Macaroni and Cheese from McCoy’s Public House in Westport. It’s a mac-and-cheese with plenty of fans: Even KCUR-FM’s Walt Bodine raves about it.

But how does it stack up to other local gourmet versions of this dish? The Pitch didn’t include a “Best Macaroni and Cheese” category in this year’s Best of Kansas City issue, but in past years the dish at McCoy’s has been a frequent contender, along with the stylish version at Cafe Trio and the down-home creation at the Peachtree Buffet.

But a new contender in the Mac-and-Cheese competition stepped into the ring this year: the dish served at Oak 63, the bistro run by chef J.B. Bremser. So I decided to put it up against McCoy’s.