‘Grilled Cheese’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Review: The Pop Shop {Collingswood, New Jersey}

December 28, 2012 · Narrative

Now if you happen to find yourself at the Adventure Aquarium and need a bite to eat, you’re in the perfect area to check out The Pop Shop. Located just four miles away in the cute downtown of Collingswood, it’s a little throwback joint that has received some national acclaim by being featured on Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay. If you’re not familiar with the show, the chosen restaurant dishes up the dish that they are most known for, and Flay then competes, using all of his chef prowess (and two helpers) in a throwdown, to see whose end product really is the best. When The Pop Shop competed, it was with their grilled cheese (they offer 31 varieties of it!).

But beyond the brush with fame, The Pop Shop was popular in its own right. Soda fountains, decorating reminiscent of the 1950s, and breakfast served all day, it’s a cute spot with a fun, cheery vibe. They have won numerous “best of” awards for their pancakes and their grilled cheese. On street parking and an easy-to-find location, we were lucky enough to snag a booth with no waiting. Although we had to ask for them, they have soda jerk hats and crayons to keep the kids busy while waiting for food.

…

Review: Grilled Cheese at the Melt Factory {Morristown, New Jersey}

December 12, 2012 · Narrative

If garlic is one of my love languages, grilled cheese is certainly right up there. When I was home sick from school as a child, I could always count on grilled cheese, tomato soup, and ginger-ale, and getting to curl up in our beige colored, well-loved recliner in the family room. To this day, it remains a meal that is total comfort food for me, and reminds me of childhood instantly.

So when we were in Morristown recently for the Gingerbread Wonderland exhibit and needed a kid-friendly place for dinner, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to give Grilled Cheese at the Melt Factory a try. Located on Morris Street, just steps away from the green, it is a great location … you can grab a bite, check out the Christmas lights on the green, warm up with a hot drink at Starbucks and finish off with a dessert at one of the many places along South Street.

Started by a young 20-something, the idea for Grilled Cheese at the Melt Factory was originally born because the owner wanted a place for people to get a quick bite after the bars in town close. I suppose business plans have been built on less. This, of course, also explains the super late hours (open until 3 am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) and the breathalyzer by the front counter.

Mission statement aside, how can you resist a build-your-own grilled cheese sandwich? The restaurant offers 23 different sandwich combinations on the menu, but you can also mix and match your bread and insides at will. And that actually proved more delicious than what the menu board offered.

I ordered a PB & J for Madeline, and Nick went with #23, the “Avocado,” which is grilled chicken, mozzarella, tomato, avocado and Ranch dressing. It is worthy to note that while the menu says “avocado,” it is actually guacamole and had a little bit of a kick to it. Two totally different things. I went with the roasted vegetable one (#16), because I was trying to stay virtuous, combined with the goal of trying something different.

All good.

But what was even better?

When one of our friends put together his own concoction … pulled pork with coleslaw and Cheddar. Amazeballs.

Like seriously, go for that alone.

…

Comfort Food: Grilled Cheese, Bacon, and Avocado {Kraft Singles}

May 29, 2012 · Ad-Free, Narrative

When it comes to comfort food, grilled cheese is probably in the Top 5 for me. When I was a kid, a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of hot tomato soup did wonders. Well, that and the fact that my Mom would make it for me. These days, it’s a go-to request from Nick too, although Madeline has yet to jump on the bandwagon. She’s fickle about cheese. Considering the insane cravings I had for cheese during my pregnancy with her, this surprises me to no end.

Over the years, I have made a variety of incarnations, and although I like to use other “more grown-up” cheeses, I always go back to the classic Kraft slices. Because that’s what my Mom did.

The first time The Ex and I went on a cruise, before we were married, we stopped at a little dive restaurant in Bermuda and had the most amazing bacon and avocado sandwiches. We actually smuggled some back on the ship before we left the port. They were that good. And that’s another favorite sandwich to this day. I mean, really, avocado? Bacon? How can you go wrong?

So when Nick asked for a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch yesterday, I decided to make a new kind… grilled cheese with crispy bacon and avocado. It seriously may be the best grilled cheese sandwich to date. It was the perfect way to combine some favorite old memories, and just the thing our lazy Memorial Day afternoon called for.

What is YOUR favorite kind of grilled cheese sandwich?

…

Read More