Grilled Cheese Month is Here: Ready, Set, Eat!

There are only three days left until the annual celebration of melted cheese known as the Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI), at which one sandwich will be crowned the champion, and all others will be merely delicious accompaniments to tomato soup.   In preparation, six local restaurants are each offering their take on specialty grilled cheese featuring GCI sponsor Tillamook Cheese. These sandwiches are only available until Saturday, so that gives you four days to eat them all.

In addition, Tender Greens West Hollywood is celebrating Grilled Cheese Month with a different sandwich each day this week.  Their chef, Eric Hulme will be competing in Saturday's GCI. Through Friday, April 22nd at the West Hollywood restaurant only, these special grilled cheese sandwiches will be $10.50 (served with a simple salad) and will be posted on twitter daily.  That makes seven sandwiches for you to eat this week to get your Grilled Cheese merit badge.

Lastly, Clementine will be celebrating Grilled Cheese Month all month long with different sandwiches available each week.  The full menu is here.  This is Clementine's 10th Annual celebration of the sacred sandwich.

Chef Eric Hulme’s Quack Attack Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The six participating restaurants serving cheesy and delicious Tillamook melts this week are:

simplethings sandwich & pie shop
8310 W 3rd Street ô (323) 592-3390
www.simplethingsrestaurant.com

Chef Carrie Cusack has created a Pork Belly Grilled Cheese with Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese, Pork Belly, Smoked Tomato, Caramelized Onions, Avocado ($9.50)

The Foundry on Melrose
7465 Melrose Avenue ô (323) 651-0915
www.thefoundryonmelrose.com

Grilled Cheese Invitational veteran Chef Eric Greenspan will offer the Johnny Apple Cheese AKA Johnny Pastrami with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, Sourdough Bread, Apple Mustard Chutney, Green Apple, Smoked Pastrami ($8.00)

Dominick’s
8715 Beverly Blvd ô (310) 652-2335
www.dominicksrestaurant.com

Chef Brandon Boudet has created a sandwich featuring Tillamook Monterey Jack Grilled Cheese, Grilled Wild Ramp, Ciabatta Bread ($11.00)


The Oaks Gourmet
1915 North Bronson Avenue ô (323) 871-8894
www.theoaksgourmet.com

From another Grilled Cheese Invitational participant, Chef Luke Reyes will offer a sandwich with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, Black Forest Bacon, Homemade Tomato Jam, Sourdough Bread ($9.95)


101 Coffee Shop
6145 Franklin Avenueô (323) 467-1175
www.the101coffeeshop.com

Chef Brandon Boudet has also created a Po Boy for Angelenos across town with Tillamook Medium Cheddar & Homemade Creole Hot Sausage Po Boy ($9.00)


crow bar & kitchen (Orange County)
2325 East Coast Highway ô (949) 675-0070
www.crowbarcdm.com

Grilled Cheese aficionado, Chef John Cuevas, will offer a melt with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, Pickled Ramps, Smoked Bacon, Garlic Mayo, Fried Egg ($11.00)


Tender Greens West Hollywood is the only Tender Greens location with the grilled cheese specials this week.

Tender Greens West Hollywood
8759 Santa Monica Boulevard  (310) 358-1919

Clementine in Century City has a month of sandwiches:

Clementine:
1751 Ensley Avenue (310) 552-1080
http://clementineonline.com/

Hooked on Hook's 15 Yr Aged Cheddar

I'd been hearing great things about Hook's Cheddar from the Hook's Cheese Company of Wisconsin for a while and finally got to try their 12 year aged Cheddar on New Year's eve which I enjoyed very much. At Surfas in Culver City this week, I saw they had the elusive 15 year cheddar which is only made and released in small quantities. Despite the cost ($95/lb) I gulped and purchased a quarter of a pound in the name of research and to further celebrate the wonders of cheese during grilled cheese month.

The Hook's 15 year cheese is a sharp cheddar that is crumbly (this is not a cheese you can expect nice and even slices from), salty and has a lot of calcium crystals which give the texture an extra oomph. It has a very strong cheddar flavor and unlike some of the cheese you can find that is labeled sharp (I'm looking at you Trader Joes), this cheddar cheese lives up to its description.

Hook's Cheese is a family owned and operated small business based in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, about an hour Southwest of Madison, in the Southwestern corner of the state. Tony & Julie Hooks are the owners/founders/operators and have been making cheese since 1976, winning many awards over the years.

Hook's also produces 10 and 12 year aged cheddars, which can be purchased locally in Los Angeles. Their blue cheese is especially spreadable. The 15 yr can be purchased less expensively at the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills for $75/lb. They also carry the 12 yr for $50/lb. The CheeseStore of Silverlake carries the 10 yr for $35/lb and the 12 yr for $50/lb.

Cheese Store of Beverly Hills: 419 N Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. Phone: 310.278.2855, Website: http://www.cheesestorebh.com/
CheeseStore of Silverlake: 3926 W Sunset Blvd (sunset junction), Silverlake. Phone: 323.644.7511, Website: http://www.cheesestoresl.com/
Surfas: 8777 W Washington Blvd, Culver City. Phone: 310.559.4770. Website: http://www.surfaslosangeles.com/

Grilled Cheese Month @ Clementine

April brings thoughts of spring, the farmers market produce you have been waiting for all winter, the first beach day of the season, and of course Grilled Cheese Month. Many of you no doubt are excited about the Grilled Cheese Invitational on April 24th , the Tillamook Loaf Tour, and the potential grilled cheese pop-up night from Chef Eric Greenspan of the Foundry on Melrose. Clementine on Ensley Avenue in the Century City/Westwood border is celebrating Grilled Cheese Month with 5 weeks of signature grilled cheese sandwiches.

Click on the picture of the menu above for the full menu, or click here for a pdf.

I am particularly looking forward to next week's Ensley Avenue Cheese Steak with annie's cheesy meatloaf grilled with peppers, onions, sonoma hot pepper jack and 10,000 lakes dressing on a toasted french roll. The Turkey Meatball Melt the following week with provolone, arrabiata sauce and turkey meatballs, also sounds particularly tasty. The basic grilled cheese with grilled white tillamok cheddar on country white bread is available every day of the month.

There is no need to run across town to catch the Grilled Cheese Truck this month when you can head over to Santa Monica Blvd and Ensley (next to Johnny's Pizzeria) and enjoy Chef Annie Miller's hospitality all day all month long.

Clementine is located at 1751 Ensley Avenue (immediately North of Santa Monica Blvd). Parking can be difficult. Phone: (310) 552-1080. Website: http://www.clementineonline.com