Homeroom is a small yet busy macaroni and cheese restaurant in the Temescal neighborhood in Oakland. Although it is located in a rather isolated part of Oakland, the restaurant has a very chill, relaxed, and hipster ambiance to it. I took my ex-roommate Molly out to celebrate her graduation. We tried to pick a day in the week where it wouldn’t be too packed and hectic during their dinner hour because we have heard stories of one hour long waits to be seated.
So, we went to Homeroom on a Wednesday evening, around six. When we got there, there was a line of people waiting outside to be seated. The place was packed and in the words of a passerby, “Homeroom has mad business.” We were seated 45 minutes after we arrived. The wait was not as bad as we expected because the staff was extremely friendly, charming, and funny. The place was amazing because in all reality, you have to try really hard to ruin mac and cheese.
The names of the dishes on the menu are very clever. I had the Trailer Mac, which consisted of cheddar macaroni and cheese and Niman Ranch hot dogs, with crushed potato chips on top. It sounded heartattackerific, so I decided to try it. Molly had a more refined taste and had Mac the Goat, sharp goat cheddar cheese with scallions. I liked both our dishes, but we found ourselves chasing each bite of our mac and cheese with a dash of Tapatio. The meal was good, but it wasn’t spectacular and felt like it was missing a kick to make it go beyond just ordinary mac and cheese.
The Delicious Double Take
The Trailer Mac at Homeroom was good, simple, and nostalgic. It was a good reminder of the simpler times when mac and cheese was the highlight of my day as a child. Homeroom did a wonderful job of reinterpreting macaroni and cheese to appeal to a more older demographic. So, Brittany and I tried to maintain the overall concept of Homeroom’s macaroni and cheese, simply substituting a few items to give it the kick that Molly and I were looking for.
The first substitution that was made was to exchange the hot dogs for a more savory and spicier meat, like a Louisiana Hot Link. Second, for the Trailer Mac, a sharp cheddar was used, which worked well with the addition of the Tapatio sauce; but, we used mild cheddar to make it less pungent when combined with the bold flavors of the hot link. In the original, I couldn’t quite put my finger on the brand of potato chip that was used, but I assumed it was Ruffles, or some other organic brand of ridged-cut potato chips. So, we used Kettle Sea Salt Chips to recreate the dish.
We made a roux with flour, butter, milk, and the mild cheddar. The roux made the mac and cheese very creamy and cheesy. We added more cheese when the roux was mixed into the macaroni to give it that bright orange color that Brittany was dying for. We added the basic necessities, salt, pepper, and of course garlic powder. The end result was promising. The hot links were a nice substitution to give the macaroni that boldness in flavor and heat.
If we had to remake our double take, it would be nice to classy the Trailer Mac up a little bit. Perhaps bake the mac and cheese and add some bread crumbs on top of it as well. Hopefully, the new additions won't take away from the general feel of the Trailer Mac too much.
The names of the dishes on the menu are very clever. I had the Trailer Mac, which consisted of cheddar macaroni and cheese and Niman Ranch hot dogs, with crushed potato chips on top. It sounded heartattackerific, so I decided to try it. Molly had a more refined taste and had Mac the Goat, sharp goat cheddar cheese with scallions. I liked both our dishes, but we found ourselves chasing each bite of our mac and cheese with a dash of Tapatio. The meal was good, but it wasn’t spectacular and felt like it was missing a kick to make it go beyond just ordinary mac and cheese.
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| Mac the Goat |
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| Trailer Mac |
The Trailer Mac at Homeroom was good, simple, and nostalgic. It was a good reminder of the simpler times when mac and cheese was the highlight of my day as a child. Homeroom did a wonderful job of reinterpreting macaroni and cheese to appeal to a more older demographic. So, Brittany and I tried to maintain the overall concept of Homeroom’s macaroni and cheese, simply substituting a few items to give it the kick that Molly and I were looking for.
We made a roux with flour, butter, milk, and the mild cheddar. The roux made the mac and cheese very creamy and cheesy. We added more cheese when the roux was mixed into the macaroni to give it that bright orange color that Brittany was dying for. We added the basic necessities, salt, pepper, and of course garlic powder. The end result was promising. The hot links were a nice substitution to give the macaroni that boldness in flavor and heat.
If we had to remake our double take, it would be nice to classy the Trailer Mac up a little bit. Perhaps bake the mac and cheese and add some bread crumbs on top of it as well. Hopefully, the new additions won't take away from the general feel of the Trailer Mac too much.
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