• USA Today, Tuesday, November 27, 2007 11:15 AM

Sonic Drive-In has started selling mac and cheese as a snack. Kraft has introduced an organic version. Cheesecake Factory sells it as an appetizer. And at two trendy New York eateries, it's the only entree. It's that old-time favorite of people seeking the sensory comfort of the tastes and smells of their youth: macaroni and cheese.

Mac & cheese has pluses--it's calcium-rich and has protein aplenty--but you can't make it low in calories, according to nutritionist Robin Robyn Flipse. "It's the ultimate comfort food," says Darra Goldstein, editor in chief of Gastronomica, a food journal. "There's a desire to get back to the essential foods from childhood."

The 30-seat S'mac restaurant in New York City has 13 mac and cheese entrees from $4.25 to $20; about 35% of is business is takeout. Supermac, another eatery, has versions including whole wheat and low fat. It also sells $6.95 Mac Burgers that twin it with Angus beef. Kraft's mac and cheese sales are up 10% through mid-November, says spokesman Basil Maglaris--a growth rate double that of Kraft's total North American business.

Read the whole story at USA Today »