Did you ever have a meal that reminded you of a special event, time or place? Do you recall a special dish you had on vacation or something you picked up at a vending cart at a festival? Or maybe you shared a meal with family and friends for a special occasion, such as a birthday or Christmas. About a month ago we celebrated Josh’s graduation from college. He’s a smart kid (I should say man), way smarter than his parents and we couldn’t be more proud! So after the pomp and circumstance we took him out to dinner at the Capital Grille down on the plaza. There were a lot of families celebrating and the wait staff couldn’t have been any nicer. Their menu was set up to order entrees and side dishes separately. We were feeling adventurous and ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese as our side which we were told was a signature dish and favorite of the staff. The entrees were delicious, but the lobster mac and cheese was the true stand out. Served in a small cast iron skillet, the lobster was perfectly cooked with a light panko crunch in every bite while the blend of cheeses were so flavorful and creamy. It made such an impression that I started searching the web to see if there was a copycat recipe anywhere out there. I found a recipe I could work with and created a mac and cheese close to what we enjoyed at the Capital Grille. From now on this mac and cheese will be a reminder of the night we celebrated Josh’s graduation.
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An Inspired Cook 