grandpa(MAC) serving gourmet pasta with twist
Hari Cameron recently gave birth to two babies.
The 2014 James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee and 2015 James Beard Best Chef nominee welcomed his son, Maxwell, into the world on July 1.
Three days later, he opened his newest restaurant — grandpa(MAC) — which he refers to as his, "other baby," on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
"It was actually my brother Orion who came up with the idea, initially," he said. "He called me last summer and asked, 'So how do you feel about mac and cheese?' "
The brothers put their noodles together and after months of brainstorming, the gourmet pasta carryout became a reality. grandpa(MAC) specializes in freshly made pasta, salads and homemade soups.
Customers can chose to build their own dishes from a variety of six pastas, a number of sauces, cheeses and toppings like crab, bacon, tofu, spinach and onions.
The menu also features several signature dishes like the Delmarva Dog — ridged elbow pasta, hot dogs, cheddar cheese sauce, pickled jalapeno, onion and topped with Doritos crumbs, the Eastern Shore — pasta shells, blue crab, garlic olive oil, corn, green onion, garlic butter and Parmesan topped with bread crumbs and Old Bay and the restaurant's signature dish — Traditional Baked Mac and Cheese topped with bread crumbs.
"We wanted to create a place where folks could enjoy high quality pasta prepared fresh and fast," Cameron said.
The restaurant uses seasonal and fresh ingredients sourced from local farms. Everything on the menu is made in house, including the pasta. grandpa(MAC)'s pasta machine can produce about 30 pounds of pasta, in all sorts of shapes and creative flavors, including gluten-free.
Soon customers will be able to purchase the pasta, by the pound, in the shop and eventually online. The Rehoboth carryout's pasta has already been featured on some local restaurant menus like Nage and Palate.
The restaurant's name, grandpa(MAC), pays homage to the brothers' great-grandfather, who Orion said was the most generous and hardworking person he's ever met.
"He was the kind of guy to never let you down," he said. "He'd give you the shirt right off his back. We were so lucky to have such a positive influence play a major role in our lives."
Both Hari and Orion have fond memories of their great-grandfather handing out candy quite often. Werther's Orginal candies, in particular. So in his honor, each grandpa(MAC) dish is served with a complimentary wrapped caramel.
The Cameron brothers hope to open another location in the future, perhaps with a more sit-down-and-stay-awhile kind of atmosphere, but for now, they are enjoying focusing on the Baltimore Avenue spot.
"We are taking it one day at a time, adding on here and there," Hari Cameron said. "Feedback so far has been wonderful. People are really digging it."
And although Hari Cameron is staying busy with his two newborns, he hasn't forgotten about his first child, a(MUSE.), a unique restaurant with an ever rotating eclectic menu, located a few doors down from grandpa(MAC).
hcarroll2@dmg.gannett.com
302-537-1881, ext. 209
Follow on Twitter @hcarroll_1
If You Go
grandpa(MAC)
Where: 33A Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth
When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Call: 302-727-5509