Profile: KC Mac N Co
Where cheese is the main event!
Photos by Tyler Shane
Say goodbye to macaroni and cheese as a small but mighty side dish and get ready for its debut as your new favorite entrée. Chef Dwight Tiller and Co-owner Steven Austin of KC Mac N’ Co are cooking up mac and cheese in a style that’s going to take up a lot more space on your plate.
Located in Parlor, an eclectic food hall in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, KC Mac N’ Co is experimenting in transitioning everyone’s favorite pasta and cheese casserole to a dish that now takes the stage, front and center, and in many different forms. A Kansas City native, Tiller began his career in the culinary program at Johnson County Community College, having worked as an apprentice and assisting with his parent’s BBQ food truck, Deez Nachos, before moving on with his own aspirations. What began as experimenting with a cheesy corn side dish eventually turned into Tiller’s niche concept, KC Mac N’ Co.
“I enjoyed the texture and flavor of the sauce. I decided to take the base of that sauce and expand it by adding a few extra ingredients” claims Tiller. “I met Steven in 2017. We worked on another endeavor together and from that point I was fulfilling his meal prep needs and prepared the macaroni and cheese for his cheat meal. The rest is history.”
While macaroni and cheese may be seen as a limiting category of food for a chef to pursue, Tiller and Austin disagree. “There aren’t any real restrictions as we’ve fulfilled a need that Kansas Citians didn’t know was needed.”
To say that KC Mac N’ Co has been welcomed with open arms by the food lovers of Kansas City would be an understatement. Within the first few weeks of opening people flocked to try the many versions of macaroni and cheese that KC Mac N’ Co provides. The support was undeniable.
“The amount of love and support we’ve seen in just a few weeks has truly blown all of my expectations,” Austin says.
Classic artisan macaroni and cheese is on the menu, of course, complete with a creamy cheese sauce and accompanied with plentiful toppings such as honey serrano chicken (a chef favorite) or smoked brisket. But Tiller and Austin are also highlighting the versatility of this classic dish with other menu items such as the Chick N’ Waffle, a waffle made of – you guessed it: macaroni and cheese– paired with crispy chicken and topped with a Something Sweet and Something Spicy sauce, as well as Mac Fritters, fried balls of mac and cheese complete with a tomato cream dipping sauce. The comfort food doesn’t stop there, however. Fried potato wedges and a Mac salad are other mouthwatering alternatives. Don’t forget the peach cobbler served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert!
One can find KC Mac N’ Co’s spot in Parlor by looking for the bright yellow sign that looks like gooey, dripping cheese, similar to the “pull” that one can experience when they dig their fork in the fan favorite, Signature Honey Serrano Mac, and prepare to take a bite. The “pull” refers to the cheese that stretches from the plate to one’s fork and is a testimony for high quality, rich and creamy macaroni and cheese. Prepare for the “pull” with every bite at KC Mac N’ Co and once your eyes are satisfied, next up is your tastebuds.
