Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to get our grub on, we listen up.
When it gets so hot outside, everyone starts obsessing over ice cream sandwiches. Not me. Instead, I want to talk about savory, greasy, fried grilled cheese sandwiches.
Luckily for me, a lot of people are on my wavelength and they’re making terrific - or at least thought-provoking - versions.
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, San Francisco
AGCK takes their grilled cheese seriously enough to have a breakfast menu: The Breakfast Piglet is filled with sharp Cheddar, ham, egg and apple mustard. At lunch, they serve a no-egg version of it, as well as the Mousetrap, made with cheddar, creamy Havarti and Monterey Jack on artisan sourdough. The place, nearby Candlestick Park, usually closes at 4 p.m. but they extend their hours to the first pitch for most Giants home night baseball games.
The Grilled Cheese Truck, Los Angeles
In most places, macaroni and cheese and house-smoked BBQ pork are side dishes. At the Grilled Cheese Truck, they’re the basis for the Cheesy Mac & Rib Sandwich. Likewise, the Pepperbelly Melt is filled with housemade chili and Fritos (served with habanero jack cheese on cheddar jalapeño bread). You can also design your own sandwich with both the BBQ pork and chili, but that may be getting a little crazy.
Roxy's Grilled Cheese, Boston
In keeping with the theme of grilled cheese places that respect their local baseball parks, Roxy’s offers the Green Muenster, an homage to Fenway Park’s famed left field wall. (It’s a mix of Muenster cheese, guacamole and bacon.) Here, too, mac & cheese is considered a sandwich filling: mixed with spicy sausage and caramelized onions - it's called Mac & Chorizo. Among Roxy’s ingenious inventions: they brush the bread with mayonnaise rather than butter before slapping it on the griddle.
Queens Kickshaw, Queens, NY
This new café uses the amazing ethnic diversity of its hometown Queens to inspire the menu. Sandwiches include the Greek-influenced feta with roasted red pepper spread, and the French-style Gruyère with pickled and caramelized onions. I’m not sure what country inspires the grilled cheese with gouda, black bean hummus and guava jam, but it sounds tasty.
Grilled Cheese & Co., Cantonsville, MD
This mini-chain now has three locations in Maryland. So, of course, they have the Crabby Melt: melted jack cheese on top of their homemade ‘crabby dip.’ Among their current specials is the Hermanator, designed by NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace: provolone, turkey breast, pickles with honey-mustard sauce.
More from Food & Wine
10 Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
America’s Wacky Fair Foods
The Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Great Recipes with Cheese
Weirdest Regional Foods
Previously – "Grilled cheese tips from a sandwich master" and "Five tips for a not-so traditional grilled cheese"
© 2011 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
I'm with all of you purists on the "simple" grilled cheese recipe. Slather some butter on a couple of slices of bread and slap on the cheese (whatever's your favorite) and cook to a toasty golden brown and slop it in some hot tomato soup. Meal fit for a King.
Grilled cheese with a side of salsa for dunking, YUM, butter the pan not the bread for a seriously crunchy crust!
Try Tom + Chee in Cincinnati! 4 different kinds of tomato soup and any 4 different cheeses on your sandwich! Yum!
Bread, butter and cheese. The simple ingredients make the most delicious sandwich. I know what I'm having for dinner tonight. It will match perfectly with a bowl of tomato soup and some oyster crackers.
Scientists at the CDC have discovered that cheese is the source for all diseases, ever. When reached for comment, cheese stated, "F@#& YOU CDC! YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"
And now back to your regularly scheduled Eatocracy...
What's with some of you? Nuts, pears, blue cheese, etc.?
Two slices of bread, good ole Kraft American processed cheese product, butter, and ketchup (or tomato soup) for dipping.
Some of us are nuts.
ilovegrilledcheese.com
Teese in place of that nasty Kraft food product on Essene bread is the best ever!
It ain't the sandwich or money it's the atmosphere people! Least for me. Of course you can make food cheaper at home, but that's not why I go out to eat. Even breakfast & lunch is worth going out if you can afford it & love the places you go to.
I LOVE GRILLED CHEESE!!!
Multigrain bread with some good quality cheddar slices (heaven forbid the ugh-making "cheese food" slices), with pepperoni slices in between the cheese slices. Mmmmmmm..... now I might have to make 'em for dinner....
Gimme a BLT.
I prefer my grilled cheese the classic way- White bread, orange cheese, fried in butter but I do have one stipulation: a glass of chocolate milk for dunking! My ex boyfriend introduced me to the crazy combination in high school & I have yet to quit eating it.
the Giants don't play in candlestick park anymore. I hope AGCK is not located near there, because it's at china point, nowhere near the heart of the city.
My heart is broken. I was so excited to come across this article because I was sure that my favorite and many other Chicagoans favorite grill cheese place, Cheesy's would be acknowledge. They keep it cheesy, my friend.
I'm sorry that comment was super rude of me. I must admit that my rage got the best of me to the point that I even missed spelled Cheesie's name.
OMG! I am so hungry now!!
Using mayo as the fat on the bread instead of butter is a matter of taste. I heard about it years ago on Recipezaar, tried it, and had to throw the sandwich away. The texture of the grilled bread was gross, and while butter smells great melting in a hot pan, sizzling mayonnaise does not. I'd use olive oil if I had to, but never mayo. Never again.
I like to put that jalapeno cheese.. or it spicy, forget what its called in my grilled cheese.
Dont know how you could possibly write a grilled cheese article without including Melt Bar and Grilled. Should be #1 on the list. Food network has covered it extensively and there is no grilled cheese even close to as good anywhere.
"nearby Candlestick Park", ahAHAHAH ahahah AHAHAH . Nice try.
DAM.....All this cheese talk has made me hungry. Gotta go make me a grill cheese sandwich with bacon.
When I lived in New Zealand they served it with sweet corn kernels spread around in the cheese it was delicious!
Bah.. George Foreman Grill, Kraft cheese and whole wheat bread is all I need. Don't even need butter.
You people realize there is only one grilled cheese recipe right? Two slices white bread spread with Country Crock, and a slice of American cheese. Anything else is a farce. Fancy it up all you want, and it might be delicious, but it won't be true grilled cheese.
Carbs fried in fat... yum...
Never been a fan of grilled cheese. 9 times out of 10 it is way too greasy for me. Also, doesn't help too much that I'm lactose intolerant.
Every so often I'll make up a sandwhich with some turkey or a chicken breast with some fresh veggies and a slice or two of lactose free white cheddar or pepperjack and grill it in a pan to get the bread crispy and the cheese melted. That's pretty good and the closest thing I get to grilled cheese.
I like my plain jane grilled cheese dipped in Tabasco!
No, No. Go the whole way and get a cheese frenchee.. Start with a cheese sandwich with mayo, then batter it and deep fry it. Mmmmmm. Comfort food. Not for everyday, but a great treat.
This idiot writer has never eaten at the AGCK otherwise she would know that it's near downtown SF by the baseball park and the bay bridge. The Stick is about 10 miles South of downtown close to Brisbane, right next to the bay. How can you trust anything they say when they have not even been there?
Fattest nation on Earth...and an ode to fried cheese sandwiches.
Oh please, not everyone is fat in the US, and by the way, all the other modern countries are catching up. So grab a griddle and enjoy.
And don't forget, The Grilled Cheeserie in Nashville food truck!
Yes! Love The Grilled Cheeserie and their Croque Madame!
Sliced Gala apples, Dijon or rough German mustard, extra sharp Tillamook cheese (grated), on sliced whole grain bread, grilled in plenty of butter.
Any cheese or mixture thereof, a generous dollop of adjvar, on rough bread.
Blue cheese and Bosc pears on walnut bread.
Bosc pears and Manchego cheese on French bread with (if you eat meat...I don't) Spanish ham.
I love grilled cheese.
The sandwich in the photo looks like it was made with Velveta. That's not real cheese! Land O' Lakes white American cheese is the way to go for your basic grilled cheese delicacy. Best on seedless rye or pumpernickel YUM!!!!
That sounds majorly YUCK!
Catonsville, MD. TYPO! This is a suburb of Baltimore.
I'll be sure to check these locales out next time I'm in NY, LA, and Boston!
Some things are best left alone – I'm happy with my childhood version of plain old Kraft slices on white bread, with Campbell's tomato soup for dunking. No way am I paying money in a restaurant for a grilled cheese sandwich, no matter how froo-froo it is....
Thank you! I agree 100% Plain old orange cheese on buttery white bread with a piping hot bowl of tomato soup to dip it. Anything else feels like putting a chrome spoiler on a model T.
Switch the Kraft to sharp cheddar, but the tomato soup is a must.
While I agree with you that the best grilled cheese sandwich is the childhood Kraft 7 white bread classic, there is nothing "frou frou" about having other kids of grilled cheese sandwiches. Sometimes people are just in the mood for something different.
Well, I agree with what people say here about sometimes wanting something different.... but most of the stuff these restaurants are making can be made at home and very cheap. Spending tons of money on a couple of slices of bread and some cheese is stupid when you can do it at home for pennies.
Agree. The most frou-frou I'll go is making one with pimento cheese. Cream of tomato soup is the only soup with a grilled cheese. Like chicken noodle soup with PBJ sandwich.
You forgot the iced cold chocolate milk. It does the trick when fighting a cold.
Love the article. Mayo on grilled cheeses isn't an invention from a food truck – it's been around for many many years. Even your linked article mentions it.
Seriously no Grilled Cheese Grill? What is wrong with you CNN? In addition to the school bus they have a second location in a double decker bus. Check it out... http://grilledcheesegrill.com/
I'm shocked that The Grilled Cheese Grill in Portland, OR is not on this list. They have the Cheesus and it's in an old school bus. What more do you want?!
I don't think the Grilled Cheese Grill is that great. I ordered the cheesus burger and wasn't impressed. It was okay but I definitely would not put in on a list of 'best' places for a grilled cheese.
Grilled Cheese Grill at 10th and Alberta, behind the Bye and Bye in Portland is fantastic!!!!!!!! The theme of the old school bus and picnic tables is perfect. Haven't seen the doubledecker bus yet....can't wait til I do....and have the "Toddler."
I prefer jersey style, with a slice of tomato and some black pepper.
Have a generous side of guacamole, put some on each bite.
your screen name sux
An entire article about awesome grilled cheese restaurants and there's no mention of Melt Bar and Grilled in Cleveland?! They have the best grilled cheese sandwiches and many variations of it! http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com
BTW, Adam Richman of Man VS. Food and Guy Fieri from Food Network have visited Melt.
I know!!!! Melt is awesome!
good call Anna! anyone who is nearby should visit Melt!
Serioussssly. I was just going to comment the exact same thing. What a travesty. Melt is the best.
I was gonna say! How can this list leave out Melt Bar & Grilled in Cleveland, OH?!? Shame on you Kate Krader! You're missing out a gem!
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is situated right next to AT&T Ballpark (home of the SF Giants). Candlestick park, home of the SF 49'ers, is quite a few miles away.
We will be back this year to do a little shaving if ya know what I mean. :)
Got HEEEEM!
Also they close at 3pm most days, not 4.
JustMitch do you not read?
"The place, nearby Candlestick Park, usually closes at 4 p.m. but they extend their hours to the first pitch for most Giants home night baseball games."
Never mind JustMitch I apparently didn't read. My bad. Sorry. Carry on.
Ok, the next time I'm in SF or Queens I know where I need to check out.
ANY food at the Breakfast Piglet/SF is so worth the wait.
The absolute best grilled cheese sandwich. Roasted garlic and EVOO rustic bread with whole garlic cloves baked into the bread, and an aged smoked Gouda with bacon right in the cheese. If you want, a smear of a good mustard. Fried up GBD in real butter.
YUMM-O!!!
That sounds sooooo good!
HERRO Mare dat comment makes my stomach growl.
Yum indeed, made me hungry just reading.
YUM, I'm going to have to try that!!
It ain't easy being CHEESY !!
My favorite grilled cheese: Marble bread, two slices of cheese on each side, crispy bacon in the middle, and tomato slices. Grill that sucker well done (I prefer my bread burnt...as in BLACK BURNT) but obviously have it to taste. Drink that with a Latte and it is total awesomeness. On occasion I will have a little bit of mustard with it, but that's on occasion.
I have pretty much the same as a fave, only with sourdough bread. Great stuff.