Hey you guys

I just wanted to say that I am super psyched as to the increased traffic I have been getting recently, and I appreciate all of you coming by and leaving comments on the posts.

I know I'm not updating as often as I should right now, but rest assured, I will be going to a new restaurant this week to try and new Grilled Cheese. So get pumped!

Thanks again

Matt

Review #2

The Grant

as eaten at: The Pop Shop(link)

729 haddon avenue

collingswood, nj

Alright, alright, I know. Being a grilled cheese reviewer and going to The Pop Shop is like being a movie critic and watching the Godfather. You know it's going to be good, and you know most people already know it's good.

If you have no idea what The Pop Shop is, then please ignore that first paragraph and think of me as a hip guy who's in the know about these grilled cheese hotspots.

The Pop Shop is a 50's nostalgia restaurant geared towards soda jerks and hamburgers. You've probably been to at least 10 of these type of places in your life, and felt like you were going to throw up afterwards. I have too.

Now what sets The Pop Shop apart from most of these places is a very special section of it's menu.

Why so special, you ask? Well let me tell you. This section of the menu; the grilled cheese section; contains over 30 varieties of Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Yeah. You read that right.

So you can see why this place is regarded as such a must-go for the Grilled Cheese enthusiast.

A few other points: Yeah, I know this place isn't in Philadelphia. It's in South Jersey. You know what though, it doesn't matter. It's only about 15-20 minutes in a car, and you know if you live in the city you end up in South Jersey at least once a month for some reason.

My second disclaimer is that I originally did not intend on reviewing a sandwich from The Pop Shop, simply because I felt like it was worn out. Old territory. Everyone knows The Pop Shop is THE place to go for a GC (damnit.). It was my friends birthday though, and she had it there, so I figured why not just go for it and do a review?

So with all that out of the way (if you read through all of that, thanks, and I'm sorry), let's get reviewing.

Here she is; the Grant:

Wow, right? A picture.

The Grant sandwich is American Cheese and Applewood Bacon on Sourdough Bread. It's a very simple sandwich, with only 1 cheese and 1 extra add in...and man, is it good.

This is definitely one of the finest grilled cheese sandwiches I've had in a long time, and really shows where The Pop Shop gets its reputation.

What makes it so great is that every part of the sandwich is cooked to perfection. For instance:

1. The bread was perfectly toasted, fairly thick, and a perfect amount of butter.

2. The cheese was just melted enough. Gooey, but not making the bread slide and getting all over.

3. The bacon wasn't overcooked, and was nice and firm without being chewy or crunchy.

And honestly...there isn't much more to say.

I could really devote an entire blog just to sandwiches from The Pop Shop, just because they are all so varied and interesting. They are known as the king of the Grilled Cheese in the area, and they really earn the title. There is no way I couldn't recommend a visit to anyone looking for a new spin on a GC. It's nearly perfect.

The only thing I'm going to take points away for is that it was served with a side of coleslaw, and it was falling out of the little cup, and some got on the sandwich, which is disgusting. Coleslaw is the worst side dish of all time, and I feel comfortable posting that.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

*thanks to Andrew Wellbrock for the photo

**happy birthday danielle

Setting myself up for disappointment

I discovered today that somebody left a comment on one of my past entries.  I don't think I can describe how excited that got me.  So with that in mind, I decided to perform an experiment here, which will most likely end in the sad realization that I am not getting many readers.  But that's okay. I'm prepared to deal with it.

So, with that said, if you read this blog regularly, semi-regularly, once or twice, or have now stumbled upon it for the first time and are confused about what the hell is going on... leave a comment!  I just want to get a feel for who or what I am scribing to. 

So all 3 of you (a hopeful estimate) get typing, and let me know!

 

Your faithful Grilled Cheese Enthusiast,

Matt

you're a slacker

So I know I haven't written much in the last week or so.  I also know that this may only have effected less than 5 people.  

Regardless, I am going to make a stronger effort to get out and eat some Grilled Cheeses this week.  I nearly ordered one off a kids menu at an Italian Restaurant last night because I knew I needed something new to write about.  I'm not that desperate yet.

So don't get discouraged, and I'll try not to either.

New reviews on the way, I promise.

here's a predicament

So after a raging start to this blog over the last two days, I've now started to wonder to myself what I can possibly write about in here between GC reviews (I'm sorry I used the 'GC' abbreviation  again. That's the last time for this entry. I promise). 

Obviously I can't go out every night of the week to a brand new restaurant and try and new grilled cheese for review.  It's too daunting, and costly.  So what am I to do?  I can't update this blog once a week or so, or nobody will care about it. Assuming anyone does at this point (I'm an optimist).  

So I suppose if you're reading this, and you have suggestions about other things I could write about on a more daily basis involving my grilled cheese hunt, or the sandwich in general.  Maybe some favorites you've had, or what you think makes the best sandwich. Heck I don't know.

my first review

a note: this review is the first, and will probably be the sloppiest,  until i get a good format rolling.

The Big Cheese

as eaten at: The Sidecar Bar/Grill (link)

22nd and christian street

philadelphia, pa

I'm not going to lie to you guys. I'm not a very big bar guy. But my good friend Steve invited me out to dinner with him this past Saturday night, so to The Sidecar we went.

Glancing at the limited menu, I noticed a sandwich called "The Big Cheese" (note: I will always post the exact name of the sandwich, as presented on the menu. If a place doesn't have a clever name for their grilled cheese, I will probably not eat it. That or I'll make up my own.)

Anyway, the description read as: "The Big Cheese: Sharp Chedder on Sourdough Bread. Simple."    Or something like that... either way, it was not specifically clear.  I asked Steve if he thought it was a GC (that's an abbreviation for Grilled Cheese. I'll try to avoid using that because it's stupid.)  He wasn't sure.

The waitress was soon at our small table to take down our orders.  I asked her, "Pardon me, but is 'The Big Cheese' basically a Grilled Cheese?"

She says yes. I say fantastic. I order.

The sandwich arrives shortly and I have to say it looks great.

The sourdough bread was grilled in the way that gives it those panini ridges. (Does that mean it was cooked in a panini? Is panini a sandwich type or a cooking technique? Please let me know if you can clarify.)  Needless to say, for some reason ridges make any sandwich more appealing.

The cheese was sharp cheddar, white in color, and there was a good amount of it.  It was coming out of the sides and definitely gooey.

The plate was garnished with french fries, and some sort of salad that didn't look like a salad. I did not touch the salad.

On first bite, I was immediately pleased.  The cheese had a great texture and tasted great.  It was a simple taste, seeing as it was only 1 cheese, but needless to say, great (not actually needless, seeing as this is a review).

The fries were good, and a nice side.  They weren't soggy and had a nice spice to them.  

(another note: I assume most of my reviews will have a side of french fries, so I'll try not to focus to much on them in the future.)

My only complaint with the sandwich was it honestly wasn't very filling.  The bread was thinner than I'd have liked, and the cheese was pretty light.  I could have eaten two of them, no problem.

Overall Score:  7.5/10

one last note, there is no picture available, since I didn't know I'd have a blog when I was eating this.

well here we are

after 30 minutes of self-deliberation, I have decided to start a blog dedicated to my love of the grilled cheese sandwich.

in said blog (this one), I will review every grilled cheese sandwich I eat in the area.

many have tried before, many have failed. some got bored.

and we're off