Considered a staple of American comfort food, the grilled cheese sandwich has made its mark as more than just the latest food trend in Manhattan. Whether you prefer to keep it classic or venture beyond with unique ingredients, sky’s the limit with what you can do with a grilled cheese sandwich. Grilled cheese connoisseurs can appreciate the creativity involved in various innovative interpretations and the attention to detail when just keeping it real. So, what would you say to the opportunity to sample and judge several grilled cheese sandwich variations? That’s right, the Big Cheesy is back!
On Saturday March 23rd and Sunday March 24th from 12 PM to 7 PM, Openhouse Gallery is hosting the Big Cheesy grilled cheese competition featuring seven of New York’s finest sandwich chefs who aim to entice you with their sandwich entries. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy the competition in one-hour time slots and then vote for their favorite sandwich.
Take a look at this year’s list of contenders:
Lucy’s Whey
Located in the Chelsea Market, this cheese shop carries artisan and farmstead cheeses, all made in the United States. You can expect a delicious contender without the frills.
Lucy Whey
Chelsea Market
425 West 15th Street
212-463-9500
http://chelseamarket.com/lucyswhey
The Melt Shop
As last year’s champ, Melt Shop is looking to hold onto the title for 2013. Melt Shop features the award winner—one of the three winning recipes which features a grilled cheddar and bleu cheese sandwich with maple bacon and cranberry jam. Expect Melt Shop to pull all the stops this year.
Melt Shop
601 Lexington Ave
New York, New York 10022
212-759-6358
55 West 26th Street
New York, New York 10010
212-447-6358
http://meltshopnyc.com
Milk Truck
Launched in January 2010, Milk Truck took home the first Big Cheesy championship in 2011 with a bleu, cheddar, and Gruyere sandwich featuring sautéed mushrooms and balsamic onions all served on rosemary focaccia. As the nomad contender, expect some enticing ingredients.
Milk Truck
917-520-7415
http://milktrucknyc.com
Murray’s Cheese Bar
Hands down, Murray’s Cheese Shop is the cheese mecca. Murray’s offers pyramids of aged aged cheeses from around the world, as well as cured meats. With the recent opening of the Murray Cheese Bar, New Yorkers have a place to enjoy curated cheese flights, as well as Alpine fondue, and yes, grilled cheese sandwiches, including the Bacon Bobsled cut featuring Nueske’s thick-sliced bacon.
Murray’s Cheese Bar
264 Bleecker Street
New York, New York 10014
646-476-8882
www.murrayscheese.com
Say Cheese
Adhering to a “farm-to-table” philosophy that supports local farmers and sustainability, Say Cheese offers a number of mouthwatering grilled cheese options including smoked Gouda and fig served on peasant bread and the infamous S’more sandwich which features Nutella, mascarpone, and graham cracker dust.
Say Cheese
143 83rd Street
New York, New York 10024
347-298-8200
http://www.saycheeseny.co
Sons of Essex
As homage to the history of Lower East Side, Sons of Essex fuses traditional American comfort food with unique twists in ingredients reflecting the immigrant experience synonymous with the neighborhood. Sons of Essex features the Mulberry Street grilled cheese, which features fresh buffalo mozzarella, and beefsteak tomatoes served on pesto-toasted brioche bread.
Sons of Essex
133 Essex Street
New York, New York 10002
212-674-7100
sonsofessexles.com
‘wichcraft
For almost 10 years, ‘wichcraft has been considered a driving force in supporting local farmers and businesses. With bread from Long Island City’s Pain d’Avignon and produce from Eckerton Hill Farm, ‘wichcraft is farm-to-table sandwich shop offering innovative creations using the freshest ingredients. Among some of its more popular options is the goat cheese, avocado, and celery sandwich with walnut pesto and watercress.
'wichcraft
Several Locations including:
11 East 20th Street
New York, New York 10003
212-780-0577
wichcraftnyc.com
Tickets are $25 and available at: http://bigcheesy.eventbrite.com.
Openhouse Gallery
201 Mulberry Street
New York, New York 10013
www.openhouse.me
CityChick Dining followers: tweet me your cheesiest joke for a chance to win a free pair of tickets!
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