701's Acme Mac and Cheese is a serving of savory food history

Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum By John Lamb Today at 7:22 AM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? FARGO — Fargo’s 701 Eateries is known for its refined take on Midwestern staples and comfort food. There are hotdishes made with fresh vegetables and local local ingredients up and down the menu. Now the dining hot spot is serving up a bit of history with the Acme Mac and Cheese, a nod to the building’s roots. ADVERTISEMENT The structure at 701 University Dr., N., opened in 1920 as the Acme Creamery. Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum According to a Forum article, the owner, Frank Peterson, bought dairy from area farmers, bottled it and sold it to stores. Cass-Clay Creamery bought out Acme in 1942 and the building eventually turned into Rosie’s Laundromat, which it remained until around 2005 when it closed. It remained empty until it was purchased and refurbished in 2014 and 701 opened in 2021. When Lauren Zobac took over as head chef 18 months ago, she was tasked with updating some items on the menu, including a standard macaroni and cheese. “I added turmeric to make it nuclear orange because that's what everybody associates with it,” she said. All the while, she saw something better coming out of the kitchen, but not being served to customers. For family meals — a dish for restaurant staff just before dinner shift — a couple of line cooks were preparing cacio e pepe, a classic Italian pasta dish that translates to cheese and pepper. She liked it so much, she proposed swapping it out for the old mac and cheese on the menu. ADVERTISEMENT Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum 701’s version is made of cavatappi noodles, black pepper and cheese sauce topped with Parmesan cheese, toasted bread crumbs, a crack of black pepper and some chives. “Because green makes things pretty,” she said. The dish is available with a serving of vegetables, chicken or short ribs. It’s also available as gluten-free. While mac and cheese often appears as a side dish, here it’s an entree. It’s rich and creamy with the black pepper popping out against the smooth coating of sauce. It was initially put on the menu as Cacio e Pepe Mac & Cheese, but Zobac said the name was getting in the way for some guests. “It took some explaining,” she said. ADVERTISEMENT All it needed was a little historic rebranding. “When it was brought to our attention that this was the creamery, it was a natural, let's just call it the ‘Acme,’ because that's what this building was,” she said. The move paid off. The dish is a favorite on the menu and she’s cooking up about 36 gallons a week of the Acme Mac and Cheese, selling better than the previous version of the pasta plate. The dish has been so popular, Zobac is featuring it at the United Way’s Cheesy for Charity event Tuesday at the Fargo Holiday Inn. A dozen local restaurants will be serving up samples of their signature macaroni and cheese dishes. No matter the name, mac and cheese has an undeniable appeal. “I think people love it for some nostalgia, seeing that blue box of Kraft, it’s a core comfort moment,” Zobac said. CATCH UP ON THE LATEST ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Arts and Entertainment Trollwood picks page-turner 'Matilda' for mainstage musical The 2027 summer production will again be directed by Broadway actress Becky Gulsvig. 3d ago · By Staff reports Arts and Entertainment Guitar invention puts more music in your hands Minnesota musician Ben Ranson’s “palmfrets” let guitarists play bass lines and solos at once. 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He started writing for the High Plains Reader in 1997 and moved to The Forum in 2002. He is an Annenberg fellow, an occasional judge for talent shows and food contestants and co-hosts the weekly “ Gardening Together: The Podcast .” He's rubbed shoulders with Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, drank with National Book Award winner Colm McCann, had coffee with Grammy-winning classical musician Peter Schickele and interviewed countless other artists, actors, musicians, writers and assorted interesting people. Contact John at [email protected] . Listen to this article Conversation ADVERTISEMENT What To Read Next Lifestyle The science of monitoring our climate with guest Daryl Ritchison 22h ago · By Don Kinzler Lifestyle Gert Solum was persistent promoter of Christ to the end 1d ago · By Roxane B. 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