I have been making my way around to the various places in New York which specialize in grilled cheese sandwiches.
Early in the summer I went to Earl's Beer and Cheese with two friends. One friend got the NY Cheddar with pork belly, kimchi and a fried egg on sour dough. Pronounced: Good but not enough cheese. The other went with blue cheese, ginger fig, potato chips on brioche. Pronounced: Maybe blue cheese isn't the best kind to melt. I had the Earl's Taco which is a scallion pancake used as a taco shell, filled with braised pork shoulder, queso fresco, shredded cabbage, radish and cilantro. Pronounced: The winner even though, obviously, it does not qualify as a grilled cheese sandwich.
Over Labor Day weekend, I went with another friend to Say Cheese. More
spacious although just as bare bones in terms of decor as Earle, this
place has salads as well as sandwiches. We each went with a sandwich. My
friend had a monterey jack, munster, pesto & tomato on potato bread (left).
I had white cheddar with their homemade bacon onion tomato marmalade on
whole grain (above). Both with well-balanced amounts & combinations of
ingredients, including the bread: Crispy (from the toasted bread) ,
gooey (from the melted cheese), and flavorful (from the mix of salty,
sweet, sour, bitter, savory tastes).
I can't speak to the tater tots because they're not my thing. My friend consumed them with relish. I liked my rosemary lemonade even though it was on the sweet side. Excellent Stumptown coffee.
I want to go back to try the black coffee snow cone as well as the grilled cheese sandwich which is suppose to taste exactly like French onion soup.
All the photos are from Say Cheese which has fun old timey decor as well as being light-filled, spacious and welcoming even though the floor is bare and the tables/chairs are strictly utilitarian.
