Nikki and I met up with my sister in South Hadley, so that she could join us on this road trip through the New England states... And also to eat some Mac and Cheese at the Yarde Tavern!

I ordered their Chipotle Mac and Cheese, and it came out pretty quick. They used cavatappi noodles (again, not macaroni), with a cheddar-based béchamel sauce, some bacon, and diced tomatoes. The sauce was fairly soupy at first, but as the dish cooled the sauce firmed up some, which was an improvement. The sauce still didn't have quite enough cheddar flavor for my tastes, but I did like the little bit of additional chipotle flavor. Also, the dish mixed in some diced tomatoes, which tasted alright, but had the unfortunate property where they would retain most of their heat as the sauce cooled, meaning that I'd accidentally scald my gums every time I found one. Honestly, I think I ended up enjoying the side-salad I got a wee bit more than the Mac.

Overall, there were parts of this dish that I found interesting, but I probably wouldn't get it again. Let's hope I can find something better while in Boston...