Cheesy

Hubby Tony and I were close to the University City Loop at dinner time, so we made our way to Cheese-ology, St. Louis' gourmet macaroni and cheese restaurant.  Yep, a restaurant dedicated to mac and cheese.  They offer more than a dozen choices ranging from basic to sophisticated, along with a vegan option. Three salads, a couple of desserts, and drinks round out the menu.

It can be hard to find a parking place in The Loop on a Saturday night, but we were lucky and only had to walk a couple of blocks.  When we got up to the counter the friendly cashier answered our questions and took our order when we'd finally made up our minds.  I chose the Mediterranean (with mozzarella and goat cheese, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives). and Tony got The Hill (provel cheese, salsiccia, and a layer of marinara on top).  We also ordered a large spinach salad to share.  They asked if we wanted our mac and cheese with or without breadcrumbs on top, which I thought was a nice touch.   After we paid we got a number and took a seat at one of the metal tables in the small eating area

 It only took a couple of minutes for the salad to arrive. The combination of fresh baby spinach, dried cranberries, walnuts, and bleu cheese topped with raspberry vinaigrette dressing was tasty, and it didn't take long for us to polish it off.  Five minutes later the main courses were brought out in small cast iron skillets with red handle covers.  Thank goodness, because otherwise they would have been too hot to touch.

I thoroughly enjoyed my entree.  The large chunks of sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives were mixed in with the tasty cheeses.  It wasn't oozing with sauce, but there was enough.   The bread crumbs on top added a nice crunch.  As much as I liked my food, though, I liked Tony's even better.  It tasted just like a St. Louis-style pizza, with the distinctive taste of provel. His dish had more sauce in it, and when he was done I scraped the sides of his pan to get the last of the gooey sauce.

Nothing like a good meal of comfort food on a chilly almost-winter night!