The Casserole's New Clothes

The waiter set the large round dish down on the white table cloth and in it was something unrecognizable. It was a pile of some monochromatic food product, smothered in a white creamy sauce, garnished with cilantro and impaled by long, needle-thin breadsticks that stuck out of the plate and pointed in every direction

''Do you eat them?'' I wondered. ''Or do you use them to administer acupuncture on your dinner date?''

The aroma was strong and enticing. Other nearby patrons dining at The Parkhouse Eatery in University Heights watched in envy as the waiter announced that this gourmet dish was actually macaroni and cheese.

The edges of the plate were sprinkled with more greenery that further masked the true identity of this dish. The small candle on the table in the dimly lit restaurant didn't make matters any easier.

Clearly, this was not your average Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. First of all, it is not radioactive orange, and it certainly did not come out of a pouch. Secondly, it is being paraded around a New American restaurant with white table cloths, candles and waiters in crisp, white, tucked in shirts.

Macaroni enrobed in gourmet cheeses like Gorgonzola and Gruyere showed up in menus on a recent tour of several trendy San Diego restaurants. Urban Solace in North Park makes their version with duck confit, bleu cheese, arugula and scallion, which they aptly named "Duckaroni." Savory pancetta is found in Cafe Cloe's iteration of the childhood favorite. And at Kensington Grill, diners will be surprised by the aroma of truffle oil coming from the mini cast iron pot filled with shell pasta and creamy cheese.

Not only has the classic dish received a makeover, but it's also hanging out with a cooler crowd.

This is an impressive transition considering macaroni and cheese isn't exactly gourmet fare. Its southern roots made it popular in soul food kitchens, while wartime America made the convenience and affordability of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese a pantry staple in the 1940s.

The dish is traditionally prepared with elbow macaroni pasta, layered cheese, milk and cream and then baked in a casserole dish. But even with its humble origins and simple ingredients, mac and cheese is one of America's most popular comfort foods. So how did this common dish make its why into some of the city's hippest restaurants?

Kathleen Tong, the Director of Marketing for The Food Art group in Los Angeles, thinks that this trend is indicative of the changing demands of our taste buds.

"It goes way beyond the dish and into the general food consciousness of America," Tong said. "People have become increasingly exposed to the behind-the-scenes of the kitchen in a way that they weren’t before."

The Food Network, the Travel Channel and the abundance of cooking websites like marthstewart.com have brought about a new awareness in quality ingredients and designer cuisine.

"People know more about ingredients now so they themselves think 'What if I made the most delicious (insert boring food here) with these better tasting things I now know about?'" said Tong, who thinks that the amount of food information available has transformed the average eater into a "foodie" with discerning tastes.

With increased food knowledge, the transition from common to gourmet becomes very easy.

"Any food can transform into gourmet food," said Karen Yoo, a Los Angeles based chef, who has worked with David Meyers and Daniel Baloud. "A lot of it just has to do with quality ingredients. Chefs are always experimenting with ways to reinvent, deconstruct and reconstruct. It's a way to keep developing skills, the pursuit of making things better and better along the way."

In addition, the movement away from processed food has made gourmet food more popular. While cheese-laden dishes aren't exactly healthy, it is the use of quality cheeses over powdered cheese that further caters to our new found mentality that food out of a box is "bad."

"I think common foods were just cheap and filling yet delicious in a previous lifetime," Tong said. "Now that people want to eat healthier given all this research about obesity and diabetes, they’re putting better ingredients together to re-create the comfort foods they love in a healthier way."

Yoo, who has seen just about every common food made on a gourmet level, has experimented with everything from peanut butter sandwiches to lollipops and cotton candy. So it's no surprise that she was stumped when asked "What's next?"

"Hot dogs maybe?" Yoo said. She recalled that a popular hot dog truck in Los Angeles uses meat that is raised in a humane and natural way.

But today, it's not hot dogs but macaroni and cheese on the menu. Each restaurant on the tour had its own delicious interpretation of the dish. Exotic, rich and aromatic ingredients made each version memorable and unique.

For Karen Yoo, the key to great macaroni and cheese is simple.

"Quality ingredients. And love."