But then my wife took a bite and, nodding approvingly, said, "They must have put a lot of butter in it, this is exactly how my grandma used to make it!" But, wait! Had Grammy fiddled with the "golden ratio" listed right there on the box: ¼ cup milk to 4 tablespoons butter? In any case, Wise Guys' interpretation was definitely of the 4-tablespoons-plus variety, and--so there was no mistaking its provenance--came served in a plastic dinosaur belly that made me feel like I was 4 years old and soon prompted our shoestrings-for-mac-and-cheese swap.

For dessert we had a rich, chewy peanut butter-chocolate cookie ($1) and an "Unbelievable Turtle Brownie" ($2) that was, in fact--like almost everything at Wise Guys--unbelievably good for the price.

When I later inquired about the cut of meat in my steak sub (top sirloin), I let slip to the counterman that, with its soft roll, it had been a little messy to handle. "The best sandwiches," he countered, "are the ones you've got to eat with a fork." Amen to that!

Still, you might want to ask for utensils, and extra napkins, with that Wise Guys steak-and-cheese and--unless you happen to be a big fan of cheesasaurus rex--a gratin dish for the mac-and-cheese.

Kurt Rabin: 540/374-5000
Email: krabin@freelancestar.com