LA's best dishes: Mac and cheese smackdown

Steakhouse stalwart Pacific Dining Car has been open Downtown since 1921, so we’d like to think that its old-school macaroni and cheese ($9) has pretty much been scientifically perfected as the go-to side order. It’s textbook mac and cheese: gooey scoops of Cheddar melted into elbow macaroni with a crunchy, cheesy crust.

We would expect no less than over-the-top (and outrageously priced) from Wolfgang Puck who serves his $20 version with Quebec cheddar, mozzarella and crème fraiche—so rich, it’s practically fondue. Wait, is that chopped parsley sprinkled on top? As if.