If your idea of good macaroni and cheese is adding milk to powdered petroleum cheese and noodles from a blue box, you haven’t tried the mac ‘n’ cheese at Silver Spring’s redDog Café. redDog — which has fast become a neighborhood gathering spot for foodies and families — features fresh-squeezed juices, muffins and frittatas for breakfast, fresh roasted lemon chicken and other ripieghi (Italian for “fold-over”) sandwiches for lunch, and a handful of delicious dinner entrees such as Carolina-style BBQ ribs and succulent cedar plank-roasted salmon. And, have we mentioned, mac ‘n’ cheese?

The macaroni and cheese at redDog is simple penne pasta in a béchamel sauce with aged white — not fake orange — cheddar cheese. They serve it gooey and bubbling hot from the 585-degree hearth oven, lightly browned on top for a little crunch in every bite. And the price? $10.95 for a full portion plus one side (yes, you will eat that much) — or $4.95 for a half-size portion that is perfect for mini-people.