Friday, February 13, 2015

Topped-Off Mac & Cheese at Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop in Oakland's Temescal District

Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop in Oakland's Temescal
Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop in Oakland's Temescal Disctrict
What happens when you start with half a pound of mac & cheese, and then cover it with pulled pork? Something delicious! Check out my full review with pictures (using my new Olloclip lenses for iPhone 6 Plus) after the break.


Trying out my new wide-angle lens at Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop in Oakland's Temescal district
Trying out my new wide-angle lens at Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop in Oakland's Temescal district
Scared Wheel is a cheese shop and deli in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood where you can grab your lunch or dinner to go, or pick up some cheese for your own cooking. There are tables and counters inside, and some sidewalk seating as well. The deli has an extensive collection of cheeses, pickles, and condiments.

I found out about Sacred Wheel from Ben's post at Focus:Snap:Eat. Sacred Wheel won the Chow Masters contest for their Sleazy Mac.

Philly Mac at Sacred Wheel in Oakland's Temescal District
Philly Mac at Sacred Wheel in Oakland's Temescal District
I didn't try the Sleazy Mac but instead got the Philly Mac. It starts off with half a pound (!!) of macaroni and cheese that is topped with cheddar cheese and fried on the grill, which gives the bottom a nice crunchiness. On top of the mac & cheese base is a layer of grilled steak, cooked onions, cheese, and a Peruvian Sweety Drop pepper.

Piggy Mac at Sacred Wheel in Oakland's Temescal District
Piggy Mac at Sacred Wheel in Oakland's Temescal District
My wife had the Piggy Mac. Same as the Philly Mac, it starts off with half a pound of mac & cheese, and then is topped off with pulled pork. The pulled pork is infused with sweet tea and tastes like it was cooked in a crock pot or slow cooker as opposed to a BBQ. The pulled pork is delicious! We both really enjoyed it, and it went well with the cheese of the mac & cheese underneath.

On the side, both of our dishes came with a mild, thin Sriracha sauce. It went well with the meat and cheese.

Nan's Perfect Sauce is on the table at Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop
Nan's Perfect Sauce is on the table at Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop
And, there are plenty of sauces and condiments on the table. In particular we liked Nan's Perfect Sauce from Virginia which is a vinegar-based BBQ sauce with some heat to it.

Trying out my new fish-eye lens. Next time I might try to keep my finger out of the picture :)
Sacred Wheel also has sandwiches, and as you know from their name, a complete cheese deli with both cheeses by the pound and already packaged.

We enjoyed our mac 'n cheese dishes, and look forward to returning to try their sandwiches. (I'm not alone in liking this place -- check out their rating on Urbanspoon!)

The Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop on Urbanspoon

What's your favorite macaroni and cheese dish? Let me know in the comments below.

A note about my new camera lenses: This was my first food review using my snap-on lenses for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus from Olloclip. I'm still learning to use them well, but so far I am really pleased with the results. I think the iPhone 6 Plus takes great pictures anyway, and now I can use the fisheye for tight spaces and the wide-angle to fit more into the frame. I used them as you can see in a couple of the pictures above. The Olloclip kit also includes 10x and 15x close-up lenses which I have yet to try. Overall, these are very easy to carry around and use. It's "a snap" to put them on. And they work with both the front and rear cameras. You can buy the Olloclip 4-in-1 lenses for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on Amazon.



Read more TV food show restaurant reviews from Steve's Been There
Steve's Been There