Even millionaires are scaling back — if we use the "Millionaire's Macaroni and Cheese" as an indicator. The five-cheese dish has been reduced to three in this upscale version of the homey classic served at Fraîche (75 Hillside Rd., Fairfield, (203) 256-5744, www.fraicherestaurants.com) in Greenfield Hills.

But who needs five cheeses anyway? Fraîche (now reincarnated as Fraîche Burger Joint, yet another sign of the times) serves a delicate and creamy macaroni and cheese in an elegant white bowl. The pasta is orzo, and the mix of white and yellow cheddar and goat cheese in a cream base is rich and satisfying with a faint tang. The dish is finished with truffle oil, sprinkled with Panko crumbs, and run under the broiler. The crust has an airy crunch. The dish comes in two sizes ($9/$18).

With it, we drank a Connecticut-brewed Sea Hag IPA ($6) from the eclectic beer list, and enjoyed its hoppy bitterness and spice flavor. The atmosphere in the room is calming, a brown and pale green color scheme and mix of rustic and modern furnishing. The service is attentive. And, from 5-6 p.m. on weekdays, bar snacks are half price, making that mac n' cheese $4.50.

Hot to Handle

A decidedly different atmosphere can be found at MacDaddy (7 Main St., Georgetown, (203) 544-7199, www.macdaddyrestaurants.com), where macaroni and cheese is the main event. The restaurant serves 18 versions of in three sizes of cast iron skillets. They also offer a three-sampler size.

The MacDaddy USA (American and cheddar) is the plainest of the lot ($9/$15/$30). We tried the Mac Monsieur (smoked gouda and black forest ham) and Mac Mushroom (with truffle oil) ($10/$17/$34) and found the small portions to be filling. The chef recommends the Mac Lobo — coconut red curry, Asiago cheese, fall vegetables and butter-poached lobster ($15/$27/$54). The staff says three to four people can share a large portion.

Ridged Barillo brand elbow macaroni is used in all of the mac'n'cheeses, most of which are made with a béchamel (flour and milk) base. Two salads are offered, Greek salad and chopped romaine and tomato in vinaigrette.

Bright orange plastic chairs give a fun vibe. But the semi–self-serve service still needs some working out. You order at the bar, so groups of diners cluster in front of the doors to the kitchen, menus in hand. You pay and are given a number to bring back to your table. "We actually bring you silverware," a staff member informed us. Why, thank you! The hot cast iron skillets come with warnings of how hot they are. In a restaurant serving food that appeals to children, this is decidedly child-unfriendly.

Mac'n'cheese is frugal food for frugal times. And as Fraîche Burger Joint and MacDaddy prove, it is eminently adaptable.