Previews

Homeroom Is On Track for January, With Mac and Cheese Variations Galore

Allison Arevalo and business partner Erin Wade.
Allison Arevalo and business partner Erin Wade. Photo: Christopher Bersbach

Homeroom (400 40th Street, Oakland), the mac-and-cheese-focused restaurant once tentatively named Little Mac from Local Lemons blogger Allison Arevalo and partner Erin Wade, is now aiming for a late-January opening. The menu will feature a bunch of mac and cheese varieties like Garlic Mac (Jack cheese, roasted garlic, peas, local Merguez sausage, topped with toasted Belfiore feta); Mac the Goat (chevre mixed with sharp goat cheddar, sliced scallions, and topped with toasted panko); as well as vegan mac and cheese and a gluten-free pasta option for all the flavors. There will also be salads and such, homemade Oreo cookies, and they’re running a contest for home cooks to submit their clever mac-and-cheese recipes, with the winner getting a spot for their dish on the opening menu. See also their appearance at Eat Real, and Arevalo’s earlier experiments with Slow Fast Food), and see a sample menu below.

sample menu

We eat a lot of mac and cheese.

And we focus on California cheeses, so you’ll be eating mac made with the likes of San Joaquin Gold, Vella Dry Jack, Cypress Grove Goat Cheese, Spring Hill Firehouse Jack - and lots of other quality local cheeses.

Exchange students will drop in from time to time… some from France, Spain, Italy maybe. These will be dishes where we experiment with cheeses from across the sea.

All of our mac and cheese will be available in gluten-free versions, using quinoa pasta and a gluten-free roux. Our vegan mac is pretty awesome too - definitely worth a try even if you’re a cheese-eater.

Here’s a peek at a few of our mac + cheese creations:

Classic
A super creamy, super cheesy, remake of the all-cheddar mac you remember as a child.

Trailer
Our classic mac with sliced all-beef, organic hot dog from Prather Ranch and topped with crushed potato chips

Smoky and Spicy

Spring hill firehouse jack topped with smoky marash pepper

Garlic Mac
Velvety jack, roasted garlic, peas, and local merguez topped with toasted Belfiore feta

Mac the Goat
Rich and tangy chevre mixed with sharp goat cheddar, sliced scallions and topped toasted panko

Eat your veggies:
Childhood favorites, only better: minty peas, roasted carrots, and broccoli with homemade ranch dressing for dipping

Seasonal salads like a California caesar and summer heirloom tomatoes with local burrata

Sweets:
Homemade oreo cookies and milk
S’mores with housemade graham crackers
Creamy peanut butter pie

Drinks:

Local craft beers on tap, California wines, homemade root beer, de la paz coffee, hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows, strawberry lemonade, spiked punch, and more…

Earlier: Berkeley-Based Blogger to Open Oakland Mac-and-Cheese Restaurant [Grub Street]
McDonald’s Gets Lawyer-y With Little Mac [Grub Street]

Homeroom Is On Track for January, With Mac and Cheese Variations Galore