Cheese Glorious Cheese!

I am absolutely in love with cheese!  It’s one of my favorite foods and I believe that it goes with everything!  So, I was very excited to attend Time Out Chicago’s 2017 Grilled Cheese Meltdown event.  The competition was held at Thalia Hall located in Chicago’s Pilsen Neighborhood.  The venue was beautiful and I was dying to know the history behind the building (I’ll save my discoveries for a future post).

Participating restaurants:

Cheesie’s The Tenderizer

Cheesie’s Pub & Grub; The Tenderizer:  Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella, Chicken Tenders, Bacon, Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce, and Ranch on Texas Toast

Dusek’s; The Sticky Mènage : 17-year-old  Irish cheddar, French Raclette, Taleggio, Black Truffle and Charred Friseè Marmalade on Tuscan Pavè

Gayle’s Best Grilled Cheese Ever; Little Italy:  Fresh Baked White Sourdough Bread, Fresh Butter, Butterkäse Cheese, Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Five Cheese Garlic Spread & Fresh Pepperoni

Same Day Café’s Rosemary Grilled Cheese

Jerry’s, Nutball Grilled Cheese:  Cashew Butter, Applewood Bacon, Cheddar, Arugula and Mango-Chipotle Chutney

South Water Kitchen’s PB&J Grilled Cheese

Michael Jordan Steakhouse; Braised Shortrib Grilled Cheese:  Grilled Raclette and Braised Short Ribs with Carmalized Onion Broth

Same Day Café; Rosemary Grilled Cheese;  Cheddar and Smoked Gouda on House-made Rosemary Bread

South Water Kitchen; PB&J Grilled Cheese:  Pear, Brie and Blueberry Jam

Wyler Road; Beer Cheese Grilled Cheese:   Provolone, Caramelized Onion’s and Tomato

Toasty Cheese; Chef’s Choice Grilled Cheese:  Duck Bacon, Provolone, Fresh Spinach and Fresh Baby Arugula with Sicilian Cherry Tomatoes and Aioli on a Panini

As seen from the ingredients, every restaurant’s take on the grilled cheese was quite unique and different from the other.  I’m usually more of a traditional grilled cheese person, I don’t want too much going on in the sandwich because I don’t want anything overshadowing my cheese.  With that being said, I for the most part was quite impressed with the flavor combinations and I loved the majority of the sandwiches.

I felt that Gayles Best Grilled Cheese Ever delivered the best tasting sandwich.  The ingredients were well balanced and the end result was amazing!!!!!  I guess you know who I voted for.

Some of my other favorites were Jerry’s ( I’d like to bottle their chipotle-mango chutney), Toastie’s, the duck bacon was soooooo good and I learned that duck bacon also has 30% less fat than pork bacon so that’s a big plus!  Cheesie’s was also one of my favorites.

There could only be 1 winner, however,  and after 3 heats with the first beginning at 11 and the last ending at 6, the Official 2017 Best Grilled Cheese In Chicago Is……..(drumroll)…………………

The Nutball at JERRY’S PUB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (my husband’s vote)

Make sure you stop by one of Jerry’s locations to try the Nutball for yourself

Andersonville
5419 N Clark (just north of Foster)
Chicago, IL 60640

Lincoln Square
4739 N Lincoln Ave (just south of Lawrence & Western)
Chicago, IL 60625