Grate mac and cheese

On the menu at Grate: Classic mac ‘n cheese.

Carb lovers rejoice! The new Grate Mac & Cheese offers turns both classic and creative on Wisconsin’s favorite comfort food.

The new restaurant, opened Aug. 29 in Menomonee Falls by the Roaring Fork Restaurant Group, has introduced what it says is a first-of-its-kind eatery to southeastern Wisconsin. The 2,500-square-foot restaurant will combine the best Wisconsin cheeses and other ingredients to develop creative versions of its namesake dish, according to Roaring Fork marketing director Abby Hansen.

“We traveled coast to coast to visit and eat at some of the best mac-and-cheese restaurants in the country,” says Hansen, who developed the menu. 

“Over the course of three months I explored every facet of the process, from the pasta to the blend and the ratio of cheese to the base sauce and how we could recreate the process in front of guests and serve the perfect mac and cheese every time,” she adds.

The result: Almost a dozen takes on the classic dish, each with its own unique character, but built on the same foundation.

Each mac and cheese entrée starts with a from-scratch béchamel sauce, a blend of cheeses depending on the specific dish, pasta and a crispy crumb topping.

“Depending on the entrée, each dish is then topped with its accompanying proteins and garnishes after they come out of the oven piping hot and with just the right amount of creaminess and cheese pull,” Hansen says.  

Taste-testers have tagged favorites

The Buffalo —a blend of mozzarella, bleu and cheddar cheeses mixed with chicken, green onions, carrots and a Buffalo sauce — was favored by the spice lovers in the crowd. 

The BBQ — a mix of mozzarella and cheddar with pulled pork and bacon topped with onion tassels and a smoky barbecue sauce — has a following.

The Bacon Cheeseburger has tremendous “plate appeal,” its creator says, with a mozzarella and cheddar blend with bacon, arugula and Ney’s Big Sky grass-fed ground beef topped with Thousand Island dressing and a pretzel bun.

+1 
Grate bacon cheeseburger

On the menu at Grate: The Bacon Cheeseburger.

There is even a Wisconsin, made with mozzarella, cheddar, bratwurst and caramelized onions.

Several of the dishes are vegetarian, and Grate serves one gluten-free option as well.

Local sourcing, except …

“We use only Wisconsin cheese because we feel it’s the best cheese in the world!” Hansen says.

Grate works to locally source most of the ingredients that go into their dishes, including foods from providers Renard’s Cheese from Door County, Sassy Cow Creamery from Columbus, Klement’s Sausages from Milwaukee and others.

But there is one notable exception.

“We are passionate about local partnerships and local sourcing when and where possible,” Hansen says. “We tested dozens and dozens of pasta options, and we found the best fit in our final choice, which is sourced directly from Italy.”

Grate features a Wood Stone oven that cooks the macaroni and cheese entrées quickly in a skillet while customers wait and watch. The menu also offers several salads, desserts and a kid’s mac and cheese.

“Our mac and cheese dishes are each very different from each other, but each is appealing in it’s own unique way,” Hansen says.

The Bite

Grate Mac & Cheese, N92 W16125 Falls Parkway, Menomonee Falls (in the Whitestone Station development).

On the menu: About a dozen creative spins on the classic mac and cheese, as well as salads and desserts. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

Web: gratemac.com

Phone: 262-953-2540.

Hours: Daily 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.

Tags

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming anotherperson will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyoneor anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ismthat is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link oneach comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitnessaccounts, the history behind an article.