By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL/Designated Writers

The Designated Writers co-founder extolled the virtues of mac & cheese in his latest offering to this website. Something about Chick-fil-A offering that food as a side item option and how you can never go wrong with it and about how he might even dream about mac & cheese.

I’ll leave those nighttime activities alone to let you know of something I feel compelled to admit to you: I have no idea what he’s talking about. More specifically, the whole mac & cheese thing.

You see, I’ve never had it. Ever.

Nor do I plan on adding it to the personal menu any time in the future, near or far.

It might come as a shock to some of you — even the co-founder found it confounding — but not only has it never been a side option, it’s never been a main option. I love noodles, but I only got on the cheese train about 20 years ago. Therefore I have no cheese sophistication; all cheese tastes the same to me. I see no reason to combine macaroni and cheese.

The list of foods I won’t eat/haven’t eaten/don’t eat because it sounds gross is a long one. Some would say that I’ve missed out on hundreds of delicacies in my many digestive episodes over the years. But I go for the best available option when it’s time to hunker down when the dinner bell rings. I don’t want to call a meal up from triple-A when I’ve already got a major league meal waiting in the bullpen. I feel like my stomach deserves my best effort. Mac & cheese has just never made it into the rotation.

Nothing personal against a food that everyone seems to love. I get that. But I’m going with the few things that are in my culinary circle and we can all learn to co-exist.

If you want to know the list other foods I’ve never had or ever will have, you better get comfortable. It’s going to be awhile. Mac and cheese isn’t even near the top.

By TEDDY ALLEN/Designated Writers

Designated Writers is in no way affiliated with Chick-Fil-A other than we are pro-chicken. Have always been pro-chicken. Do not see that changing.

So writing a tiny bit about Chick-Fil-A was not on my mind when I wandered into the Ruston franchise off Interstate 20 (good thing it’s not ON Interstate 20 or traffic would be slowed) and met my kinfolk. It was going to be a glorious time. Some of my faves were there.

But it was ever more glorious than I’d hoped.

I ordered my chicken sandwich and water and the nice cashier said, “Do you want waffle fries?”

I said neg. Not a bit waffle fries guy. I’ll eat them for sure but…

“How about a side of macaroni and cheese?” he said.

What the…?

“Wait,” I said. “What?”

The second week of August, Chick-Fil-A began offering macaroni and cheese as a side. Risky? I guess. But let me tell you something, and this from a Mac and Cheese aficionado: it was good.

Eyebrow-raising good. I’ll go to Chick-Fil-A anytime you ask because, at the worst, I can get Mac & Cheese that’s good. Mercy.

And it makes me like Chick-Fil-A more, because again, waffle fries are fine but I don’t dream of them.

I might dream of the Mac & Cheese though.

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