I have been in a state of GCD (grilled cheese depression) ever since the landlord opted not to renew the lease of Heywood: A Grilled Cheese Shoppe on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles last summer.
Memories of the Italian Bleu Jeans sandwich — made from fresh mozzarella, creamy blue cheese, walnut pesto and sun-dried tomato — still haunt my palate.
But life must go on, so we reached out to friends for suggestions on where we could experience GCB (grilled cheese bliss) around the country. With tomorrow being National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, what better time to share our findings?
- You’ll need GPS to find Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, because it’s a Boston-based food truck — and Boston is a big city. Once you track it down, ask for the Mighty Rib Melt, made from fontina cheese, barbecued braised beef and caramelized onions.
- MeltKraft has stands at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and Reading (Pa.) Terminal Market. It’s difficult to recommend just one sandwich because, quite frankly, they’re all great. MeltKraft’s secret? It’s owned by Valley Shepherd Creamery — so not only do they make the sandwiches, they make the cheese.
- At Central in Washington, D.C., Michel Richard melts Swiss cheese with a rich mushroom duxelle, garlic and sweet roasted onions. As if that weren’t enough, the sandwich is served with a four-cheese dipping sauce.
Now that Heywood is history, we had to find a credible replacement in the Los Angeles area. Clementine to the rescue. During most of the year, Annie Miller offers a “build-your-own” approach to customers. But during National Grilled Cheese Month, she offers an extensive menu of gooey goodness, adding a new sandwich each year.
To see what she’s added for 2016, go to: http://clementineonline.com/files/Quesoanera_Menu.pdf
