4 Gourmet Takes on Kids’ Favorite Foods

Think you and your children don’t share the same taste in food? Think again. Even the pickiest eaters enjoy the guilty pleasures we adults crave from time to time — mac n’ cheese, ice cream, grilled cheese, chocolate pudding. So where in the world can you find the best gourmet, adult-friendly versions of your kids’ favorites? Here are just a few worth trying.

Macaroni and Cheese at Blue Plate

This well-recognized San Francisco spot serves up macaroni and cheese that earned its own cult following. The special ingredient? Goat cheese from Spain, cured in red wine for two months. Other items giving this dish its unmistakable flavor include cheddar, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard and bread crumbs from a local bakery.

All Things Dessert at Serendipity 3

Serendipity 3 in New York City is known for its extravagant desserts, and you have more than a few to choose from, depending on your price range. Parents and kids alike will love the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. You can also order a non-frozen variety, topped with whipped cream, orange zest, cinnamon and French chocolate. Other favorites include the various sundaes, like the Strawberry Fields Sundae (cheesecake, strawberry ice cream, strawberry topping and whipped cream) and the Can’t Say No Sundae (peanut butter pie, ice cream, banana, hot fudge and whipped cream). If you really want to go all out, though, call 48 hours in advance and reserve your Golden Opulence Sundae, for $1,000. The record-breaking dessert includes Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, the most expensive chocolate in the world, 24-karat edible gold and dessert caviar.

Grilled Cheese at Aquitaine Boston

This Parisian-style restaurant serves up a high-end version of a grilled cheese, named the “croque magret.” A pressed sandwich made of confit, gruyere and mustard perfectly toasted between two rustic slices of bread, it’s a mouthwatering concoction that will have you wondering just where it’s been all your life.

Ravioli at Piccolo Sogno

Any kid can recognize the red of a Chef Boyardee can, even if no one can recognize the contents. Introduce their palates and your own to a more upscale version of the beloved pasta dish at Chicago’s Piccolo Sogno, where the signature dish goes by the same name — Ravioli Piccolo Sogno (which means “little dream” in Italian). The four-cheese ravioli also includes pine nuts and butter in a Marsala glaze with Parmesan curls.