Going Ol' School at the Grilled Cheese Grill

Another culinary highlight from Kimberly's visit this weekend was trying out the Grilled Cheese Grill on Alberta Street, which came highly recommended.  As it happened, Kimberly met the owner's parents on her way to PDX and was raving about it since.  Once Dan and I put two and two together that this was the grilled cheese food truck with a school bus dining facility, we knew we had to try it.

Atmosphere:
Unlike any food truck out there, the Grilled Cheese Grill offers something truly unique.  Here's how the experience goes - order at the small truck out front and then proceed into the vintage yellow school bus to hear your order called out, and enjoy your grilled cheese.

The school bus, which has been painted with a few additional vibrant colors is simply da bomb and one of these fun novelty things that any kid or adult can't help but enjoy.  Transformed into a long, narrow dining room, complete with nostalgic music, 80's Trivial Pursuit at every table and old photographs of people's childhood and yearbook photos on the tables, it legitimately brings you back in time.  You can't help but smile and be uplifted by everything and before you know it, your grilled cheese order is called and you're now gnawing on gooey deliciousness.

Food:
With over a dozen of interesting grilled cheese options, spanning from veggie, carnivore, breakfast specials, daily specials and even dessert sandwiches, you're sure to be back many times before working your way through the menu.  Since it was an early weekend afternoon, Dan and I both went with breakfast sandwiches and Kimberly got something a little heartier.

The Big Huevo - How could I turn down a sandwich with this festive name? Everything from the grilled jalapeños to the fried egg, the avocado and pepperjack cheese spoke to me.  I loved biting into it and seeing its bright colors, but the jalapeños were quite spicy so I had to pluck a few out. The avocado complemented the egg perfectly and together it made for a great breakfast-brunch hybrid.

The Briootch Sandwich - This was one of the specials of the day, and what Kimberly chose.  Consisting of melted brie cheese, bacon and grilled red onions, she seemed to really dig it, especially when she dipped it into the cup of tomato soup she ordered as a side.  In Kimberly's words "the soup was very light" and a great complement to this already delicious sandwich.

Service and Cost:
Characteristic to Portland, the service is very quirky and the staff has definitive opinions as to what's good.  We loved that you can go and chill on the bus while your sandwich is being made, which took just under 10 minutes.  I'd highly recommend this joint to groups of friends and especially to families with kids.  Would be fun to host a birthday party in the school bus one day - ideas, ideas...

Costs are inexpensive and range anywhere from $4.50 to $8 per sandwich - depends on how fancy it is.

3 Mmmms

Grilled Cheese Grill - 1027 NE Alberta Street, Portland OR 97211
503.206.8959
grilledcheesegrill.com

Good Eats at the US Open

Even though good food at the US Open is certainly hard to come by, as over-eager tourists bum rush the Food Village, devouring sub-par food, there are a few things worth writing home about. If you’re at the Open this year, I highly encourage you check them out:

Morris Food Truck – Known for their grilled cheese sandwiches, the Morris Food truck comes to the Open by way of Brooklyn. I loved this cheery addition to the day’s festivities, and I must say that it’s run really well.

There’s a separate area where you get a good view of the menu and actually place your order. After just a few short minutes your name gets called at the actual truck and you get your perfectly melted cheese beauty. There’s four different grilled cheese sandwiches to choose from and they all sound great. Sure they’re expensive (you’re at the US Open after all), but comparatively speaking, the prices are okay.

After some consideration, I went for the Gouda sandwich with thick pieces of smoky bacon that were nestled inside. Overall, it was a total home run, as the cheese was perfectly gooey, tangy and just generally tasty. I appreciated the well done exterior on the bread, as I like my grilled cheese on the darker side too. It made for some attractive photos to boot!

You can find the Morris Food truck in front of Court 17 at the stadium or on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn on most days.

Sandwiches by Parm at the Heineken House – At first, I can’t say I was totally enthused about checking out a branded environment in an already commercialized sporting event, but the Heineken house won me over. Located also right outside of Court 17 on the rooftop of a nearby building, the Heineken house offers a welcome respite for visitors, during this over-crowded event.

A nice, spacious bar welcomes you as you walk in, complete with a picnic table area, a mini pro shop with Heineken swag as well as some games and a cute photo booth. The Parm sandwich area was easy to spot, and similar to the food truck I just described, you first put in your order at the counter and wait a few short minutes for your food to come out.

It didn’t take me long to decide on the Godfather sandwich, which boasted a few generous hunks of fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato on pressed garlic bread. A bright green jalapeno found itself wedged in between the two halves of the sandwich, decorating it beautifully. Overall, the sandwich was delicious, fresh-tasting and made of good quality ingredients that’s a rarity at this event. Kudos Heineken!
 
I hope you get to visit these two eateries while the Open is still going on til this coming Monday, September 8th.

Monday Brunch at the Queens Kickshaw

I recently wrote a post on We Heart Astoria about Everyday Brunch, which got me inspired to explore the topic more closely.  Loving brunch food in general, I love having the excuse to eat it on weekdays, especially at establishments who do them well.  That's why I was psyched to see that the Queens Kickshaw is extending their weekend brunch to Monday as well.  This special promotion goes on each Monday during the entire month of June, so I hope you get to take advantage of these savory and some sweet delicacies.  Here are a few of my personal highlights:

French Toast - Brioche, hard cider pear compote, chili cheese crisp...$12
Biscuit & Grits - Buttermilk biscuit, creamy grits, roasted vegetables, sunny egg...$12
Layered Potato Cake (pictured above) - with sunny egg, gruyere cheese with toast...$11
Bread Pudding - Custard brioche, orange caramel...$6
Egg & Cheese - Ricotta, cheese crisp, thyme, maple hot sauce on brioche...$6
Gouda Grilled Cheese - Black bean hummus, guava jam, pickled jalapenos, green salad with jalapeno vinaigrette...$10

The Queens Kickshaw - 40-17 Broadway, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.0913
M/R Train to Steinway Street
www.thequeenskickshaw.com 

Fooditka in Philly - Reading Terminal Market

On this three day weekend, Dan and I decided on a road trip to Philly to satiate our historic curiosity, see good friends, and to taste some amazing food, of course.  Quickly learning that Philly is indeed a foodie haven, we bumped into all sorts of delicious sites that made our visit complete, already piquing our interest for an upcoming visit.

A big highlight of our trip was a visit to the historic Reading Terminal Market, which since 1893 has been a gathering place for the city's local food artisans.  Reminding me of Seattle's Pike Place Market, Reading offers up a medley of amazing food merchants from dairy & cheese, specialty desserts and confections, meats & poultry, Amish goodies, housewares, books & crafts and a lot more.

Dan and I took a proper look-see and were impressed by the sights, sounds, smells and most of all tastes.  Here are my personal faves:

Meltkraft - The second outpost of Valley Shepherd Creamery's retail location, this amazing "melt shop" can also be found in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  Immediately drawn by its pungent smell, I couldn't resist a heaping, cheesy sandwich and drew my eyes to the Melter Skelter (aka Raclette) with pickled green tomatoes, jalapeno and watercress.  The cheese was melted to perfection and created the most amazing, well-done crust on the outside of the bread.  Loving the thin pieces of green tomatoes, they added a hint of sophistication and a contrasting sour flavor.

Wursthaus - When Dan spotted a German schnitzel stand at the market, he had to go for the gold with this classic pork schnitzel sandwich.  Really generous in size, it was easily a foot long heaping sandwich with beautifully crispy pork cutlets, romaine lettuce and a spicy grain mustard on a fluffy kaiser bun.  I had a bite of the pork and despite it being fried, it felt light and fresh.

Flying Monkey Bakery - Being that I'm a sucker for dessert, it didn't take long to be drawn in by Flying Monkey's whoopie pies - and there were so many to choose from.  Loving a classic chocolate and peanut butter combination, I went for it, and immediately understood what the hoopla is all about.  The cookie dough is as soft as a cloud, while the filling is light (almost like a mousse) and really smooth.  A few sprinkles give it a jolt of texture, which was fun to bite into.

Have you been to Philly's Reading Terminal Market? What are some of your favorite food purveyors?

Reading Terminal Market - 12th & Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.922.2317
readingterminalmarket.org

Cheesin' It Up with Gorilla Cheese NYC Food Truck

Totally excited by the fact that a food truck lot has set up right outside of my office building during lunch, I'm always looking out the window to check out the different food trucks that have landed there each day.  I love that they alternate constantly, giving people the opportunity to try a variety of things at once, and it also defeats the sometimes arduous activity of actually locating these mobile kitchens.

I headed down for lunch with a co-worker of mine yesterday, and given that the weather was actually good, we decided to hang.  At first, we checked out the offerings at each truck, starting with Munchie Mobile and working our way eventually to the Bongo Brothers Cuban food truck.  And somewhere in between that was the Gorilla Cheese NYC truck, which I've always been dying to try.  After taking one look at their menu, both my co-worker Rusty and I were all about it.

About the Truck
A lot of you may be familiar with this truck, as it's quite emblematic, with a picture of a large King Kong-esque gorilla holding a melted grilled cheese in one hand and the Empire State Building in the other.  I love its whimsy design and bright yellow color, which automatically makes me think of cheesy goodness.  In truth, I've seen this truck floating around quite a bit on Varick Street (and other locations around the city) but the sometimes long lines have turned me off.  

Even though we found ourselves waiting in line here too, it went fast and we also didn't feel awkward standing on the street, as we were in a nice park that was enclosed and where we felt we could stay a while.

Grilled Cheese
Although there are many tantalizing options on the menu, my choice became very clear immediately, as I went for the #8 or the Spicy Buffalo Chicken grilled cheese.  Besides the buffalo treatment, which always makes me think of Monday Night Football, I was sold by the fact that it incorporated smoked mozzarella on French bread.  By the latter, I was expecting something crusty and substantial however, I was slightly disappointed by the ordinary white bread that encased the delightful contents of chicken and cheese.

Loving the filling of this sandwich, I appreciated the spice in the tender chicken chunks and the cheese was indeed quite smoky and out of this world.  It went down easy, and despite it being a heaping, hearty sandwich, it didn't weigh you down, which was great.

Rusty got the smoked gouda with BBQ pulled pork creation and while I didn't try it, he assured me it was delicious.  Next time!

Service and Cost
The service was very quick and efficient, as we waited for just 5 minutes before receiving our piping hot sandwiches.  I have no complaints and overall the truck seems to run pretty efficiently.

Each sandwich set us back $8, which is pricey for just simple meat and cheese, but I have to say that it's doable once in a while and that the quality is very good.

3 Mmmms

www.gorillacheesenyc.com
Twitter: gcnyc1
646.538.1838

Cheesin' Out at The Big Cheesy Competition

Last weekend I embarked on a very fun cheesy adventure, together with Kimberly, as we attended The Big Cheesy competition at The Openhouse Gallery in Nolita.  I've been wanting to check out their food events for quite some time, so when this opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it.  And besides...who doesn't love a great grilled cheese?!

Why the Big Cheesy?
You may be wondering why an event all about grilled cheese? Even though I hardly questioned this delicious theme, it was initiated by the folks at The Openhouse Gallery to raise awareness for some really top-notch grilled cheese creations in the city.  Think we're pretty spoiled in Astoria by the awesomeness of The Queens Kickshaw, but the city is a vast place and the gems I'm about to tell you about can sometimes get lost in its enormity.  So queue up that spotlight please...

The Competition:
There were 7 fierce competitors that brought their cheesiest game to this competition, including Murray's, Casellula, Big Daddy's, Little Muenster, Lucy's Whey, Tartinery and Melt Shop.  In all honesty, they were all really tasty and I'd get a grilled cheese at any of them without hesitation.  But among the good, emerged the best in show and here they are, in my preferential order.

Lucy's Whey - My favorite sandwich of the day, it was really simple and clean.  Containing just one cheese, pairie cheddar, and also fig jam and olive oil, the simplicity of the ingredients let each component shine and didn't confuse the palate.  I also loved the crispy ciabatta bread that held together its contents - the key was letting it stay the way it was and not greasing it too much, as I thought some of the other competitors did.

Melt Shop - With three types of grilled cheese sandwiches, it was one of the most innovative competitors, boasting 1). a sharp cheddar, 2). a fontina and goat cheese and 3). blue and cheddar cheese.  Each one of these had a unique spin, my favorite being the sharp cheddar, as it also incorporated chunky pieces of 12-hour braised pulled pork.  You can taste the smokiness upon first bite, and the homemade bbq sauce we dipped this baby in was the icing on this cheesecake.

Murray's - Being that it was the first grilled cheese sandwich we tried, it made a big impression.  Similar to the Melt Shop's cheddar grilled cheese that had meat in it, this one had a similar composition with braised short ribs, tangy taleggio cheese, caramelized onions, and fire roasted jalapeno peppers.  It had a clear personality and made a statement, so much so that they got Kimberly's vote for best grilled cheese of the competition.

Big Daddy's - The flashiest grilled cheese competitor, Big Daddy's featured lots of glitz and glam at their station, with colorful swag, free gift cards if you Tweeted them on the spot and get this...mac and cheese grilled cheese.  I applauded their unapologetic gluttony and truly enjoyed the creamy cheesy pasta, which was seamlessly embedded into the already rich grilled cheese.  Although it was amazing, I couldn't have more than one small piece.

Little Muenster - Although this was the last grilled cheese place we tried, it definitely stuck out, as it was the only option with a tomato soup dipping.  While the sandwich itself wasn't all that memorable, the soup was the show-stopper, especially because it was vegan and therefore non cream based.  I knocked it back even before I had a bite of the sandwich, and could've had a big bowl of that alone.

Casellula - Attracted more to the lovely set-up of their booth, when it came down to the food, Casellula's sandwich was tasty but not a total stunner.  I appreciated the uniqueness of it, as it incorporated the slightly spiced pickled pepper relish and an interesting combination of emmenthaler, gruyere, and scharfer max cheese (similar to an aged gruyere).

Tartinery - Kimberly and I were both mesmerized by the elegance of the two types of sandwiches they served, the classic Croque Monsier and the Croque Madame.  Although they looked gorgeous, they fell a bit short on taste, and both of us thought they went a little too heavy on the ham versus the cheese.  I liked that it was an open faced sandwich, hence "tartine," which made it more memorable.

The Winners:
Each person who attended the Big Cheesy was equipped with one ping pong ball that we were instructed to drop into a long tubular container, located at each grilled cheese station.  You can only vote once (hence the lonely ping pong ball) and the votes were tallied up by the end of the weekend.  So without further ado, the winner is...

The Melt Shop's grilled cheese trio.  

YUM! Although my vote went to Lucy's Whey, I'm totally OK with the outcome, as it was a close second.  If you haven't yet visited any of these amazing cheesy joints, I highly suggest you hit them up, and pronto...before word gets out.

Openhouse Gallery - 201 Mulberry Street, New York NY 10012
212.334.0288
B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette Stop
www.openhousegallery.org

Brunch At Bear - Hear it Roar!

This past weekend, my We Heart Astoria colleagues and I brunched at Bear, which turned out to be a fabulous experience.  After much admiration of the menu (scallops and eggs, the grizzly burger, beer battered fluke, etc.) we finally went in and gave it a try.  

I must say, it was quite fabulous, as it had plenty of options and some pretty neat ones for vegetarians too, which was relevant to our party.  Here's what we tried:

Scallops and Eggs - Naturally, this menu item just jumped out at me, since it's so different from what you'd see on traditional brunch menus.  I couldn't be happier that I got it, as what arrived were 3 beautifully seared scallops (cooked to perfection) and embedded in to a sunny side up omelet.  The dish was simple but really well executed, as the eggs were a little bit runny and coated the silky smooth scallops like a blanket.  Further dressed with arugula, which gave the omelet a peppery bite, each ingredient complemented the other and overall produced a well-rounded dish.  It's an absolute must!

Stuffed French Toast - We received a complimentary portion of Bear's stuffed French Toast, which looked a bit rustic, but tasted spectacular.  As you can see from the above shot, the pieces of French toast sandwiched a filling of apricot-ricotta and honey.  It almost tasted like a custard, which was very dessert-like and the French Toast itself was soft and resembled the texture of bread pudding.  Simply put, it was some serious stuff, that I recommend splitting.

Meg, Mackenzi and Kellner also ordered other things, such as the tomato omelet you see above and also the grilled cheese sandwich.  While I didn't taste these two things, they looked fabulous and the girls attested to its goodness.  The tomato omelet especially looked attractive to me since it combined little cherry tomatoes with ricotta cheese. YUM!

One other thing I wanted to briefly touch upon is the crazy looking drink you see above.  While we didn't try it, we admired it from afar, as it was a Bloody Mary on steroids if you will, with a giant piece of celery, broiled bacon and a whole hard boiled egg.  Now that's what I call liquid brunch!

Service and Cost:
As always, the service was warm and friendly, and we were graciously greeted by Alex, Bear's co-owner as well as Natasha his sister and Bear's executive chef.  We just loved how intimate and homey it all felt, and we were comfortable to just relax and hang out as long as we wanted.  Think everyone felt the same, as we saw people comfortably sinking into their seats and enjoying their brunch.

Costs are inexpensive, given the awesomeness of the food:

$14 will buy you a main dish, unlimited coffee, and 1 mimosa or bloody Mary.   You can't beat that!

3 Mmmms

Bear - 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11106
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com

Queens Kickshaw Morning Glory

Although yesterday was technically a non-work day for me in the traditional sense, my We Heart Astoria colleagues and I had a super productive day, meeting at The Queens Kickshaw.  Choosing this venue for its casual, laid-back vibe and superb coffee, we settled into the large square table upfront and spent most of the morning and the early part of the afternoon discussing "business."

In the midst of all this, we of course took breaks to drink delicious Kickshaw coffee, and indulged in their signature comfort food.  I've never not liked what I've had here, and this time even further upped the ante.  Some new things I tried...

Egg & Cheese Sandwich - When Dan ordered this before, I hungrily watched him eat it, but this time I was ready to devour it solo.  Just like each Kickshaw sandwich, it used really high quality bread, a buttery brioche in fact, which held deliciously savory elements such as perfectly scrambled eggs, soft ricotta cheese, tangy gruyere and some hot sauce to boot.  Because I usually pair egg dishes with ketchup, the hot sauce was a great substitute that made the sandwich incredibly moist, with a healthy kick in the butt from the spice.

White Bean and Beer Stew - Listening to Jen, Kickshaw's co-owner, describe this soup excited me.  It sounded incredibly hearty, mixing two types of beans, white gigantes and garbanzos, along with roasted peppers and braised greens.  The whole thing would then be submerged into a pungent beer broth and further topped with crunchy rye bread with basil aioli.  While I loved the bread with that earthy, garlicky pesto, I thought the soup needed more broth.  I enjoyed its chunky contents, and it did a great job of filling me up, but I would've appreciated more liquid to soak up the bread.

Dessert - Surprised with a sweet treat at the end of our meal, we received two on-the-house desserts, including a brownie affogato and and the bread pudding.  It so happens they combined two of my favorite things of all time - bread and chocolate - so needless to say, I was very happy.  Out of the two, I had a strong preference for the brownie affogato, as it paired together a rich, dark chocolate Godmother Rozzie's brownie with chunky walnuts, with a cool coffee cream.  Dipping the brownie in the cream was just fantastic and made it even moister than it already was.  I appreciated the tie-in with coffee, as it related back to Kickshaw's foundation.

The bread pudding was also lovely, made with a beautifully rich custard brioche, hints of orange and ribbons of caramel.  Even though it was by no means a low cal dish, it didn't leave you with a heavy feeling and we polished it off rather quickly.  My favorite aspect were the slightly crunchy edges of the brioche - yum!

Service and Cost:
Always treated with much hospitality and a friendly but unobtrusive manner, I continue to love the service here.  I appreciate the professional way they conduct business and the high quality they deliver.  It was interesting to see that there's table service too, which I haven't much seen at other coffee houses.  It has to be said that the entire place was busy on a Monday, which is testament to its continuous excellence.

Costs are fair and I paid about $17 for a cappuccino, an egg and cheese sandwich, and the bean soup.

3 Mmmms

The Queens Kickshaw - 40-17 Broadway, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.0913
M/R Train to Steinway Street
www.thequeenskickshaw.com 

New Hangover Pasta at Ornella

Image by Ornella Trattoria and Bradley Hawks

 Always up for fun food inventions, Giuseppe, Ornella's proud owner is rolling out some brand new goodies that'll be served during brunch.  As we know, Ornella is the place to come to when you're in the mood for pasta, and after hearing that a hangover brunch pasta has been officially introduced, I'm totally going gaga.  That, alongside a most non-traditional and intriguing cheese sandwich, and you've got yourself an unforgettable meal.  Here's a better description of the two that will get you licking your chops.

Hangover Pasta - Homemade fettuccine cooked in milk (think Ornella's pasta latte) with bacon and a sunny side up egg on top with a drizzle of truffle oil.  Wow, sounds like a heavenly combo, and one that I've never had before.

Ornella's Take on the Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Grilled cheese topped with anchovies, capers, brandy and cream sauce.  To say this is decadent wouldn't do it justice.

Rumor also has it that Giuseppe serves the above-pictured Eggs Benni dish on (get this!) Italian lard bread.  Now that's a must!

Hope to see you there!  I'll be the one stuffing myself silly.

 Ornella Trattoria -17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.94
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.ornellatrattoria.com

Blackbird's - It Aint All That On All Counts

Blackbird's - 41-19 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.943.6899
N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.blackbirdsbar.com

Because I've heard a lot of great things about Blackbird's, I've been wanting to check it out for some time. So when I found out that a local singer, Suzy Sellout, who by chance happens to work with me was performing there, I took it as a sign and went. Although Dan and I enjoyed the music, the food was mediocre at best.

Atmosphere:
Blackbird's is a welcoming place - from its cheery exterior to its cozy interior. It's very much set up like a bar--a narrow main room with bar seating as well as casual tables surrounding it. The walls are decked with kitchy memorabilia that you'd see at a local bar or even a diner. But the coolest part is that the back is set up for live performances such as the one we saw last night. While the acoustics could be better, it provided a comfortable place to enjoy a good live show--and the best part was that it was free.

Food:
After much hype, the one thing that I was dying to try was Blackbird's grilled cheese. Both Dan and I ordered it and while he liked it, I was underwhelmed. Here's why...

The Avenue Grilled Cheese - Although this sandwich sounded and looked impressive, served on fluffy white Texas toast and stuffed with American cheese, bacon, fresh avocado and tomatoes, it was just mediocre. I thought that the bacon smelled funny and tasted too greasy--it wasn't crunchy enough for me and didn't have that lovely smoky taste. The cheese was a disappointment because it was American - blech. I'm not a fan of artificial processed cheese and this is exactly what it was--Velveeta heaven. The avocado and the tomatoes were yummy though and as fresh as could be.

Something else that completely repelled me was my side of slaw. I usually love a good, crunchy slaw but this one was the last scrape of the barrel. Our server literally told me that they "found" some extra slaw before putting it in front of me. The taste and smell was terrible and reminded me of garbage.

While my side dish was unacceptable, Dan's fries were delicious and crispy. I should've gotten those. What was I thinking?

Beer - We each got a tall glass of beer to wash down our grilled cheese. I ordered the Gruut, a Belgian amber ale while Dan got the Coney Island Lager, considered to be a hybrid beer. I loved the full bodied taste of the Gruut, which was slightly sweet and caramely. Dan's was flavorful as well but more on the bitter side--and he was happy with that.

Service and Cost:
I wasn't thrilled in this area either. Our waiter seemed confused and disorganized. He didn't know the menu very well and was a little too casual with us. We waited about 20 minutes for grilled cheese, which was too long for a simple sandwich. I just didn't understand what the holdup was. Overall, the service definitely needed servicing.

The prices were moderate. For two sandwiches and three beers, we paid about $42 including tax and tip. While this wasn't expensive, the fact that I wasn't happy with my experience made me resent it a bit.

1.5 Mmmms

Artisanal's New Grilled Cheese Bar

Artisanal Bistro - 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
212.725.8585
6 Train to 33rd Street
www.artisanalbistro.com

I recently found out that the upscale, Artisanal Bistro is offering an extended bar menu, incorporating a grilled cheese bar and various flavors of pomme frites (aka French Fries). This certainly sounded appealing to me and so much so that my friend Katie and I tried it out. While I wasn't disappointed, I also wasn't impressed. I thought that the sandwiches were overpriced and together with drinks and dessert, it was an expensive meal. Our selections included:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - I chose the 18-month comte with truffle essence for my grilled cheese. And while I enjoyed it, I thought that the slices of bread could've been more generous. The bread was drenched in butter, which gave me yucky, greasy fingers. The cheese itself was fragrant and earthy, which I enjoyed and the potato chips and pickles on the side were nice too.

Katie chose the English Cheddar, smoked bacon and apple grilled cheese. She too was underwhelmed and said that overall, it didn't live up to expectations. I didn't try it but took her word for it.

Herbed Tuscan Pommes Frites - These not only met expectations, they surpassed them. Crunchy, salty, well-done fries, seasoned with fresh rosemary and garlic, they were the perfect accompaniment to our grilled cheese sandwiches. What would've been a better deal is if they were served with the sandwiches instead of the potato chips and pickles. Just a thought...

Chocolate Marquise - This was definitely a treat and included a chocolate-hazelnut block of mousse with vanilla salt on the side. I just mentioned how much I love the sweet and salty combination in desserts and that's partially why I loved it. The whole pieces of hazelnuts were wonderful and I think that they were caramelized. Overall, this dessert was a home run and I'd suggest it to anyone who loves chocolate, nuts or nutella for that matter.

Service and Cost:
I had no complaints about the service. Everyone was polite, friendly and attentive. We ended up getting a bottle of wine and our glasses were refilled in good time, which showed us that the waitstaff was paying attention.

Our grilled cheese sandwiches ranged between $13.50-$15.50 for small portions, which was expensive. The pomme frites were $9.50 while the chocolate marquise set us back $11.50. Together with the wine, we spent a whopping $60 each including tax and tip. Not cheap. Not cheap at all but we still managed to enjoy ourselves immensely. So even though this "special" was designed to attract a new audience, I still think of it as a splurge rather than an affordable meal.

2 Mmmms