The time is nearly ripe to indulge in ooey gooey, creamy gourmet macaroni and cheese.
That's because Grate Modern Mac and Cheese is slated to open its doors to the public at N92W16125 Falls Parkway in Menomonee Falls on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
The fast-casual restaurant, operated by Roaring Fork Restaurant Group, specializes in gourmet macaroni and cheese entrees. And (surprisingly!) it's one of very few in the otherwise cheese-filled State of Wisconsin.
Grate’s menu will feature over ten varieties of macaroni and cheese, including flavors like buffalo chicken, nacho, chicken bacon jalapeno ranch and green chile pepperjack. Gluten-free macaroni and cheese will also be available as well as a sampler featuring eight different macaroni and cheese flavors in a shareable skillet. Recipes were developed with the help of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. All entrees are made to order and served in individual ceramic skillets which are cooked in the restaurant’s Woodstone fire deck oven.
In addition to macaroni and cheese, Grate will also offer salads, a children's menu and unique desserts including confetti and cream and chocolate chip cookie dips.
Roaring Fork has also made a commitment to using Wisconsin-produced products including Renard’s Cheese (Sturgeon Bay), Sassy Cow Creamery milk and heavy cream (Columbus), Richland Hills Farms (Richland Center) apples, Klement’s sausages (Milwaukee), Patrick Cudahy bacon (Cudahy), Pine River butter and cream cheese (Manitowoc) and Kemps yogurt and sour cream (Cedarburg).
"After more than a year of thought and preparation for this new restaurant concept, it is so satisfying to celebrate the grand opening of Grate Modern Mac and Cheese," notes Abby Hansen, director of marketing at Roaring Fork. "Bringing our twist on the tradition and comfort of macaroni cheese to southeastern Wisconsin has really been a labor of love."
Grate Mac and Cheese will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information, visit www.gratemac.com. Or follow Grate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
