The baked mac and cheese at the Alley—the Newport Beach Rat Pack hangout at the Pacific Coast Highway-Superior Avenue entrance to the Peninsula—is one of those appetizers you think about weeks, months and years after you've consumed it. Perfectly prepared noodles swim in a shallow bowl with gooey Gruyère cheese, firm bacon bits and flavor-packed crimini mushrooms. The portion is deceptively small—and even-more-deceptively rich. Order it to share before the entrées arrive, and you'll still have some left over for lunch the next day. It's also not bad as a sponge for what might ail you after overindulging at the 25-year-old late-night spot famous for the “Best Pour By the Shore.” $$$
Comments are closed.