Muffuletta vs. Kings in a mac 'n' cheese smackdown

Lisa Gulya

A royal serving of mac and cheese at Kings?

​Whether baked, breadcrumbed, mixed with hot dogs or lobster meat, mac and cheese is a classic comfort food with countless variations. As the temperature drops and the days shorten (sorry to remind you), the Hot Dish brings you a food fight to soften the news that winter is approaching. Read on to see whether the noodles at Kings or Muffuletta deserve their price tag.

Muffuletta
At Muffuletta, the mac and cheese is $10.95. Our portion is not particularly pretty, since we got it to go. Don't let the homely appearance belie the dish's homey taste: baked crusty on top and creamy beneath, the mac and cheese had a pleasant mix of textures and an ample supply of bacon pieces scattered throughout. Plus, the staff was kind enough to add bread and some of their garlic spread in a separate container.

Lisa Gulya

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Kings Wine Bar
Kings serves up a bowlful of mac and cheese for $8.95. When we ordered it, we got shells with a soupy, rather than cheesy, sauce. While the menu says the dish is baked, we couldn't detect it. The breadcrumbs on top were gritty, like crushed corn flakes.

Lisa Gulya

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The winner: Muffuletta. The dish was satisfying, with the added bonus that it came with a side of bread and spread. Kings' dish, sorry to say, made me wish I had saved $8 and made a box of supermarket mac and cheese at home.