Grilled Cheese

From pressed-flat, wafer-thin, white-bread-and-Velveeta cooked on a lunch-counter flattop to effulgent bouquets of imported cheese melted between halves of an artisan bun, the grilled cheese sandwich has countless personalities. Some have regional character, such as pimento cheese in the South, the deep-fried Frenchee of Omaha, and the grated hot cheese of Fall River, Massachusetts. Grilled cheese is so versatile a sandwich that there are restaurants where it is the only thing on the menu, but in multiple forms. At Meltz in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, specialties include a “Korean Krazy,” which is provolone and pepperjack cheeses, barbecued beef, kimchi, crushed sesame sticks, scallions, hot pepper ketchup, and cilantro. At Toasted in Winter Park, Florida, choices range from the “101” – cheddar and tomato – to the “truffle melt” of Havarti, truffle oil, and arugula. The Grilled Cheese Grill of Portland, Oregon, offers a “cheesus burger,” which is a hamburger with its bun replaced by two grilled cheese sandwiches.