Met a client for lunch today at a little gem of a restaurant in Tremont (a ‘comeback’ region of Cleveland) called Lucky’s Cafe.
I’ve had many meetings at this location over the past year, but they’ve always been “meet for coffee” events, so my experience of Lucky’s is as a coffee shop — with a great patio in the summer.
Today was my first lunch meeting at the place. I knew as soon as I looked at the menu what I was going to order — the macaroni and cheese is legendary, plus I’ve got a warm spot for comfort food.
But I have to tell you, I was completely unprepared for how UTTERLY FANTASTIC a plain old dish like macaroni and cheese can become in the hands of a food artistan.
This was not ‘just’ a variation on comfort food. It was decadent. It was the very definition of Creamy. It was a macaroni and cheese Dessert. It was a ‘dive in and swim around in it’ entree. It was a little bit of bubbling cheese heaven on a plate. It was a Stop-The-Conversation-So-I-Can-Experience-Sensory-Pleasure dish.
Did I mention it was really good?
And that the side of homemade applesauce was just the perfect thickness, with a hint of cinnamon?
Ironically, just before the entrees arrived, my client and I were discussing the distinction between pleasure (fleeting) and happiness (more enduring). So the question becomes, can macaroni and cheese create true happiness?
Well, I’m willing to go back to Lucky’s Cafe to find out!
(from their menu)
Baked Mac-N-Cheese
Cheddar, Brie, Parmesan, And Mozzarella Cheeses, Baked With Pasta And Cream, Topped With Brioche Bread Crumbs.
Served With Housemade Apple Sauce.
