5 Amazing Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

By Kate Krader, Restaurant Editor, Food & Wine

Follow Kate on Twitter: @kkrader

When it's hot outside, everyone obsesses 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.

Slideshow: 10 Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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, Monterey jack, on artisan sourdough. The place, nearby Candlestick Park, usually closes at 4, but they extend their hours to the first pitch for most Giants home night baseball games.

Slideshow: America's Wacky Fair Foods

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 leftfield 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 onion 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.

Slideshow: Fast Game Day Snacks

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 jalapeno bread). You can also design your own sandwich with both the BBQ pork and chili but that's getting a little crazy.

Slideshow: The Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

The 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 Gruyere 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.

Slideshow: Great Recipes with Cheese

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.

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Comments

[Pleroma]

05:19 PM on 09/25/2011

Sounds like training grounds for spastic colon syndrome.

[somnus00]

04:18 PM on 09/16/2011

Take two slices of nice whole wheat bread. Spread a thin layer of good apricot preserves on each slice. Top each half with thin white cheddar and fresh black pepper. Then a few pieces of black forest ham and grill.

This may sound weird but try it. Delicious. One of my favorite comfort foods.

[Targetdog]

11:11 PM on 09/15/2011

Give me grilled cheese and tomato soup and I am a happy camper.

[Marsha Hallet]

11:26 AM on 09/15/2011

My favorite was always grilled American cheese with tomato on white bread. But it surprises me that so many new restaurants have been created around this nostalgic sandwich which does not represent healthy eating. If they are successful and become chains, then in 2012 they will have to post the calories and other nutrition information on their menus.
http://www.knowfoodnow.com/2011/06/save-money-and-calories-by-eating-at.html

[BuckyJamesDio]

08:08 PM on 09/14/2011

The best thing about grilled cheese sandwiches is experimenting. Like pizza, it's an open slate for whatever you either think sounds good or for whatever is in the fridge. Not only can you discover what combinations are simply amazing, you can also discover that sometimes what you thought might be good was better in theory.

[Zimmers]

04:33 PM on 09/14/2011

Has the writer ever actually eaten at any of these places? It doesn't sound like it. Just seems like an advertisement.

[The Cleaner]

03:24 PM on 09/14/2011

The Grilled Cheese Truck Los Angeles is a joke. Wife and I ate there a few weeks ago when it was in Tarzana, CA. I had the Cheesy Mac & Rib Sandwich....which was a flavorless, greasy pile. Wife had the Brie Melt.....also a greasy mess. Neither of us finished our sandwiches and ended up throwing them away. I should of read the Yelp reviews before trying it.....would of saved me the $25 with tip it cost me for this slop.

BTW.....did Kate Krader, the writer ever eat at this truck? I am thinking not by a long shot.

[earpopper]

03:00 PM on 09/14/2011

Quick correction: American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is located near AT&T Park, where the Giants currently play, in the SOMA district of SF, not near Candlestick Park where the 49ers currently play and is the former home of the Giants.

[DownHomeFoodie]

02:39 PM on 09/14/2011

She left out Melt, a Cleveland restaurant that does nothing but gourmet grilled cheese. My favorite is the "Parmaggedon," which is pierogies and sauerkraut on grilled cheese. There is another one, "The Godfather," that is a lasagna grilled cheese sandwich. I go there every time I'm in Cleveland. Last time, I ended up writing a really gushy blog review of the restaurant because I love their food so much!

[fishnetdiver]

06:19 AM on 09/15/2011

"...a lasagna grilled cheese sandwich..."
DROOOOOL DROOOLLL!

[jackiwhitford]

02:12 PM on 09/14/2011

Everybody has their favorite version of a grilled cheese sandwich. Mine is seedless rye bread with mustard, shredded (not sliced!) sharp cheddar and jack cheese. I butter the bread and put it in a skillet. Sometimes I add crabmeat or ham. Add one cup of Progresso hearty tomato soup and you have got a meal.

[fishnetdiver]

06:20 AM on 09/15/2011

the only thing that beats a grilled cheese and tomato soup combo is a grilled ham 'n' cheese and a bean 'n' bacon soup combo!
either one makes for a great sandwich dip!