When I recently saw that the venerable New York Times had singled out a local spot on its list of the best dishes of 2025, I was highly intrigued. When I saw it was a restaurant that I particularly love, I knew I was going to have to make a trip.
The restaurant in question? One of our city’s best, 2M Smokehouse. However, it wasn’t for their impossibly flavorful brisket or their Fred Flintstone-sized beef ribs. No, it was one of the restaurant’s sides: picadillo mac and cheese.
For those who’ve never experienced 2M Smokehouse, the pitmasters have seamlessly blended Tex-Mex with ‘cue. Everything the restaurant does, from its Oaxaca cheese-stuffed sausages to its dill and cilantro-flavored pickles, bears the flavor profile that has become the hallmark of this James Beard-nominated restaurant…