The Best Grilled Cheese in Rhode Island
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The trademark sandwich of RI's unofficial Ambassador of Cheese, Matt Jennings, at Farmstead. Photo: Front Row Eats.
The Big Cheese: Farmstead, Providence
Rhode Island's unofficial Ambassador of Cheese is Matt Jennings of Farmstead. His cheese shop is a good place to get lost in lactose. Attached to the cheese shop is one of the state's best restaurants where Chef Jennings turns out dishes to die for. When you're a thoughtful, responsible business owner you try to use up everything you can. Waste is the mortal enemy.Well, if you've got the best cheese shop around there is going to be grilled cheese. Stellar grilled cheese. The current incarnation features the slightly sweet Taleggio cheese with a smoky, sweet onion jam and garlic braised greens on wheat bread. It is a tour de force of flavors. The wonderful, and consistent, thing about Jennings' food is that nothing ever overpowers anything else. Tt's all complementary. The star here for us though is the onion jam. We'd like to slather it on everything...everywhere! 186 Wayland Ave. 274-7177, www.farmsteadinc.com (Photo: Front Row Eats)
Queso on the Go: Championship Melt, Mobile
When you combine grilled cheese, food trucks and pro wrestling themes you have spoken our language...well, one of us anyway. Championship Melt is part of Rhode Island's growing legion of food trucks. Long thought of as the silver trucks you'd see on a construction site, food trucks have gone high end. On any given day there is authentic Mexican, Fabulous French and Korean and now grilled cheese. Championship Melt combines boundary-pushing grilled cheese with a love of old-school pro wrestling to be all that a food truck should be: Fun. And delicious. Late nights in the city you'll find them cranking out stuff Mom never thought about. Take "The King" for example...Elvis' favorite combo of peanut butter and banana is turned on its head with bacon and American cheese to make a damn fine grilled cheese. Or check out the "Figure Four," which throws onion rings into the mix! www.facebook.com/ChampionshipMelt
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URI students and Kingston residents have long known about The Emporium. This little hidden gem features several cool food spots that cater to all ends of dining clientele. Options range from burritos to some of the state's best, freshly made bagels to taste-bud-tempting grilled cheese at U Melt. We wandered in after an event in the area and were impressed by the options. They're not only pushing the envelope, the set it on fire. Avocado and bacon? Check. Honey roasted bananas? Check. Pulled pork and mac and cheese? You get the idea. If you can melt cheese on it, they probably have done it. Veggie lovers swear by the hummus and roasted pepper on multigrain bread. The Havarti cheese proves to be the perfect choice here with its mild flavor accented by the Middle Eastern flavors around it. The White Trash is another winner with the aforementioned pulled pork and mac and cheese blowing your grilled cheese mind. 99 Fortin Rd 284-3433, www.facebook.com/sogoodumelt
Old-school with a Twist: Red Stripe, Providence
One of the all time classics of childhood is Campbell's Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. What is it about this combo of flavors and textures that makes it the go-to cure for any childhood illness? We may not have unlocked the secret to grilled cheese's redemptive powers but we have found a grilled cheese and tomato soup that makes us feel nostalgic. Just head over to Red Stripe in Wayland square and grab the roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese combo. We're not here for the soup, although this version is excellent. We're here for the grilled cheese. You can choose from plain grilled cheese or the sophisticated adult version with prosciutto and poached pears and basil pesto. The earthiness of the cheese is accented by the sweetness of the pears, the saltiness of the prosciutto and the slight licorice flavor of the basil to produce a sandwich that reigns! Get in there and get one. 465 Angel St. 437-6950, www.redstriperestaurants.com
Better than Mom's: Luxe Burger Bar, Providence
Yeah...we said it...the Chow Fun Food Group blows your mom out of the water. We're sorry. I mean they have the unfair advantage of having John Elkhay running the ship. Elkhay has been running spots in Providence for more years than we are willing to admit we know and he's been turning out creative, delicious food just as long. Luxe Burger Bar is Chow Fun's upscale burger concept. They serve fresh and tasty burgers and many other things. We passed on the beef for once when the grilled cheese caught our eye and we were hooked. The sharpness of cheddar, the meltiness of Swiss and the mild flavors of havarti are accented by peppery arugala and tomatoes. Melt it all together and you have a ton of flavor and a delightful sandwich. You could also do worse than upscaling to the cheddar tater tots. Just go for cheese overload with these crispy, flavorful bites. We won't tell your mom it's better than hers...we promise! 5 Memorial Blvd. 621-5893, www.luxeburgerbar.com
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