Mac across the Pond

Obvs taken on a diff occasion. This time out of it's bowl with a "Home-made Cod Fish Finger Sandwich"

Having lived in England for two years, I of course have craved some American eats. Along with burgers, mac & cheese (or as the Brits call it “macaroni cheese”) is probably one of my biggest misses. Bill’s, a strangely American- and British- feeling restaurant founded by an Australian guy, offers some tasty mac. If you prefer the dry creamier kind, then this might not be your fave, but if you’re into saucy mac, this will be your thing. Leeks are included to add an extra kick along with a blanket of breadcrumbs.

I want to take some time to also talk about the cute décor of the place. So it's sort of a chain in England, but it’s aesthetic is quite appealing. I like to call it industrial chic: exposed pipes chilling with chandeliers and vintage-y kitchen products. Sure, it’s probably being marketed to yupsters, but it’s pretty damn effective!

Bill's (various locations)
London:
St. Martin's Courtyard WC2E 9AB

Oxford:
Northgate Hall, St. Michael's Street OX1 2DU

Souley Vegan--Souley DELICIOUS

Southern Fried Tofu, Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Southern Fried Tofu, Potato Salad, Black Eye Peas

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Potato Salad

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Mustard Greens
(The stuff oozing out of the burger is the Tangy Spinach.)

Apple Cobbler

Let's be honest, when people hear "vegan," they don't think tasty. And, the combination of vegan and soul food sounds even more strange. Well Special K., Tob-asco, CS, EJ, and I were pleasantly surprised last Friday, when we decided to make a Souley Vegan, Beer Revolution, and Trappist pilgrimage. We were so hungry that we didn't even think of ordering the "everything" plate, but instead all got similar orders. Here's a breakdown of some of the offerings:

• Southern Fried Tofu: HOLY CRAP THIS STUFF ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE CHICKEN. I don't know how they managed to bread and fry the tofu in such fashion, but the fried-ness tastes similar to fried chicken. Advice: share this with a friend because you kind of feel like dying after eating one piece (in a semi-good way).

• Mac and Cheese: Everyone who I've asked about vegan cheese seems to have had bad experiences. Therefore, I was a little skeptical when I ordered it, but the yelp pictures looked fucking amazing. The cheese was surprisingly cheese-like, and the dish was well-seasoned. This was probably my favorite side dish of the night.

• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy/Potato Salad: Both were not bad, but not the most amazing things I've ever had. The mashed potatoes were very creamy with a tiny bit of spice, and the potato salad was exactly what you would expect.
  

• Black Eye Peas/Mustard Greens: Both were not mine, but there were no complaints about either. Actually, I remember the greens being noms, and they made us feel slightly less terrible about ourselves.

• Portabella Mushroom Burger: This thing was huge!! I didn't get to try some of the mushroom, but I did try the "tangy spinach" on top. Holy crap, be aware that these greens are spicy. Tob-asco called it "death spinach." It wasn't bad, just a kick in the face that we weren't expecting.

• Apple Cobbler: Wait for this to cool down, before you eat it! We all nearly burned our mouths. But, it was the perfect end to a soul food meal...the cobbler, not the burning.

Oh I almost forgot to mention, the music here is amazing! Nothing like some soul jams.

Souley Vegan
301 Broadway, Oakland

Quick Summary of Beer Revolution and the Trappist (for those who are curious):

Beer Revolution: A bit divey, but has an incredibly extensive beer selection. There are refrigerator cases filled with bottles, and they have blackboards filled with on-tap options. You can apparently bring food from Souley Vegan over to eat or there's also a Tamale guy that goes around offering people...tamales.

The Trappist: I almost want to say that the mood of the place is the complete opposite of Beer Revolution. It has a cute European pub feel, and there's a front bar and a back bar. Their selection is also quite extensive, but seems less so when compared to the Bevmo beer-ness of the previous place.

Beer Revolution
464 3rd Street, Oakland

The Trappist
460 8th Street, Oakland

Homeroom: A+

Beer Float (Oh yes, that is a mason jar.)

Spicy Mac
(Okay, it looks like they just sprinkled the pepper flakes that come in the little glass containers next to the parmesan at pizza joints, but it is not!)

Ever since Eat Real, Special K. and I have been awaiting Homeroom's opening. It has taken them forever, but they have finally set up shop in a somewhat random location (i.e. not that convenient if you do not have a car and not really near anything else). We got there at 5pm, which sounds incredibly crazy, but believe me this place gets packed quickly! There were already people when we arrived, and the place filled up in about half an hour...it was Friday though. Special K. and I decided to order our favorite from Eat Real, the Spicy Mac. However, we made the request of potatoes chips on top, which usually only come with the Trailer Mac. Tob-asco opted for the Vermont White Cheddar. The mac was as good as ever. Portions are just right for the extremely hungry diner (you will be full). Or just wrap half of it home and grab some dessert. I ordered a Beer Float made with Old Rasputin Stout and Three Twins Vanilla Ice Cream. It was certainly interesting. If you are a huge fan of Stout and Ice Cream, I would say give it a try or share it with a friend. It is definitely different. They also have huge Homemade Oreos that look delicious. Tob-asco and I were kicking ourselves for not buying one and taking it home. Oh, and if you want to be healthy, they offer veggie sides! Towards the end of the meal, the owner came out to ask for some feedback. Apparently, they are looking into changing the menu by offering add-ons. Perhaps, they'll go the Grub route and just have a make-your-own-mac option?

Then comes the question, which one is better, Grub or Homeroom? That is difficult to answer, since I am in love with the fries, lobster, and truffle oil at Grub. However, Homeroom knows how to choose their cheese and season their mac. These two mac hubs have very different atmospheres as well. Grub has a more swanky, bourgie feel. Homeroom, as you can tell by its name, is a bit more fun. They have paper-airplane-making directions on their menus! Basically Grub is mac for grownups, while Homeroom is your childhood dream come true. If you are trying to decide which to try, I would suggest checking out the menus first.

Homeroom
400 40th St (b/w Shafter Ave & Webster St)
Oakland

For those who want to take BART, it is about a 15-minute walk from Macarthur, but I am not sure about the safety or shadiness of the area.

Mission: NYE

So of course, Uptown publishes an article on Grub right as I'm about too. Just my luck. :P So for NYE and Special K's Birthday, we decided to grab some Grub and go bar hopping. Mostly because we didn't want to pay cover fees for clubs and also cuz we're hip like that. First of all, I'm just going to throw out there that yes, Grub is a tiny bit expensive. A lot of people don't want to pay $9+ for Mac, but if you are willing, then you should consider it. Basic Mac starts at $9 and each additional item is $1. The items range from rock lobster to broccoli, so it's great for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. I chose rock lobster and truffle oil, while Special K. got broccoli, and I'm not quite sure what our friend AR got. But what I do remember is how sensational it was. People have been complaining that the cheese sauce is too saucy and not cheesy enough. I beg to differ. The sauce had a nice creamy consistency that went well with the toppings. I also highly recommend the fries or as many restaurants are calling it nowadays "pomme frittes" (to be hella french...gawd). I've been telling everyone that they're like McDonald's fries, but BETTER: thin cut and hella crisp. We also ordered asparagus for good measure. And I give Grub extra props for offering complimentary champagne and birthday brulee!

We headed to Bar Laszlo and Shotwell's afterwards. Both very cool, but also very different. Laszlo was a bit too loud (not to sound like an old man), but it might have just been a NYE thing. Love the projected films and decks on the wall. Shotwell's was less bourgey and definitely more local pub-on-the-corner-of-your-street. My night would have ended better if a drunk dude hadn't spilled his beer on me. But it's okay, I got a bacon covered hot dog at a vendor as a gift to myself.

Grub
758 Valencia Street (b/w 18th and 19th)

Bar Laszlo (It's Foreign Cinema's bar)
2534 Mission St. (b/w 21st and 22nd)

Shotwell's Bar
3349 20th Street (@ Shotwell)

Bacon-covered Hotdogs
Just look for vendors along Mission hella late at night.