Noodles & Company - Now with Pork

***Special Guest Post***
Somewhere in the vast spectrum of restaurants ranging from the Inn at Little Washington to McDonalds, lies Noodles & Company. The name says it all. The majority of their menu consists of noodles and pasta (which is really just noodles with an Italian accent).

There are two Noodles & Company restaurants in the Falls Church area in Virginia. They are simple establishments. Both are a bit dark inside and perhaps the low light is meant to hide the low-key setting . . . forgettable tables, forgettable chairs, forgettable everything . . . except for the food. I have tried many of their noodles. They serve dishes with generous portions that are tasty, filling, and interesting compositions of ingredients falling into American, Mediterranean, and Asian themes. Basically, their concept is that you choose your noodles or pasta dish and add a protein (chicken, tofu, steak, shrimp, or meatballs).

You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu . . . except perhaps the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese, which is the number one seller. You see, Noodles & Company does not bake their macaroni and cheese. This means that its version does not have that crispy golden outer layer of cheese melted atop the macaroni.

I miss that.

Photo: Yelp

But all is not lost. Noodles has a new entry: Barbecue Pork Mac. For me, it is the savior of their macaroni. It is delicious. “Creamy mac and cheese spiced up with tender braised pork, crunchy onion bites and our own sweet tangy barbecue sauce,” is the way Noodles perfectly describes the dish. For around $8 you get a large bowl of macaroni and cheese with a very generous amount of meat. It is an excellent and simple dish, and another success for the Noodles & Company menu.

You know, I usually don’t eat pork, but when I do, it will probably be in a Noodles bowl.

by Julio