I used to make killer grilled cheese sandwiches when I worked at Jack-in-the-Box (not on the menu, but a special order) when I was in high school, but the best ones I've ever had are the ones my mom used to make when I was a kid :)

Elsa's in Milwaukee
 

Elsa's in Milwaukee does one with Neuske's thick slab bacon, tomato and an excellent medium-sharp cheddar. It's awesome on a cold winter night. My wife of 25 years puts mayo on hers hot off the grill. I have actually learned to like them.;)

Had a pretty amazing "fast food" one at some place in Berkeley last year after a friend raved repeatedly about this joint. (Can't recall the name but I can picture it.)

Love to make my own at home with crusty bread and a soft cheese like brie.

And I'll admit I like my mom's even though I suspect she uses something very non-sophisticated like Velveeta.

I like them with havarti and swiss but rarely eat bread these days :)

I'd love to find one in a restaurant that is a bit more upscale. The best one I ever made at home used leftover gorgonzola, some sort of hard spanish cheese, grated romano, and a little sharp cheddar - on dark rye bread.

I'd also love to try it with the triple cream from Cowgirl Creamery at the ferry market in San Francisco.

The food there is OK, but use caution. You will walk out of this place smelling like a grilled cheese sandwich. They are in dire need of a better exhaust system.

They serve Raclette. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette

Still have massive queues every Saturday lunchtime. Always worth the wait though. Roast's hot roast pork and applae sauce rolls come a close second.

Mature cheddar on toasted sourdough with onion marmalde. Winner everytime.

Kraft singles on Wonder bread.




<ducking>

:p

Petite Abeille in NYC. Made with ham -- very important. Best when they brown it a bit longer so it gets nice and crispy. :)

pc

That's as equally valid as the Euro-fusion concepts bandied about. My dad is a chef, but as a child, I ate wonder and kraft grilled cheese. When I have a desire to regress to childhood (complete with a viewing of some Muppets based show), Wonder, Kraft Ameri-Cheese, lots of ketchup, ridged chips and a tall glass or 4 of Ovaltine, with extra malt.


Mmm, regression never tasted so good.

Cheers,

-Andrew

Beecher's at Pike Place Market in Seattle. They use their "flagship" cheddar that they make on site. Man it is GOOD! (So is their mac 'n cheese by the way)

The Union in Clarkston, Michigan.

I hate brie. And they make their's with brie. And it's the best grilled cheese I've ever eaten anywhere!

The bar has an incredible beer selection. And I HIGHLY recommend the mac 'n cheese-nothing like you've ever tasted before I assure.

I have always loved good old cheese on toast :)

A grilled cheese I make at home, on thick sourdough, with a lot of sharp cheddar cheese.

I worship at the altar of the one and only true god of cheese on toast.......Tasty Lancashire

All others are charlatans

nickyboy

^^

Last time in London went to the city's oldest cheese shop (name escapes me). Lovely lady put together a variety of cheese slices specifically for this. Lost the list, of course, but the blend was incredible. Will make my way back there and hope to recreate.

The ultimate comfort food for me is Kraft cheese slices on white bread (reminds me of childhood), but luckily my tastes have matured over time; anything with havarti or gruyere is delicious. I had the most amazing croque-monsieur a few days ago...melted gruyere over a ham sandwich....mmmmmmm.......

Man, you gotta love Flyertalk. Thanks to a post in the MR forum today, the Mr. BeerHunter booked us on a quick MR/overnight jaunt to Milwaukee later this month...and now this thread on one of the most perfect foods has given us a place to visit while we're there. :) Most excellent.

My favorite is on seeded rye...most any cheese will do, though I am partial to swiss...butter to brown the outside. Mr. BeerHunter also introduced me to actually putting mayo on the bread before the cheese. At first I recoiled at the very thought...but now I'm hooked.

Brie? Shallots?? Truffle butter???

Good god, we're talking about grilled cheese here.

Extra sharp cheddar on grilled sourdough with sliced yellow onion.

Never had this, but if it's got Neuske's thick slab bacon, I'm gonna have to try it next time I visit my family in WI.

Doesn't that make it more of a Monte Cristo? I guess it's missing the turkey.

Aren't Monte Cristos battered and deep fried?

True. So not the same at all. My mistake.

Paxton and Whitfield? They do great things with cheese... as do Neal's Yard.

An open-faced aficionado myself, I prefer good dourdough bread pre-toasted, then topped with Gouda or sharp Cheddar and run under the broiler until bubbly brown. Obviously, there's no better improvement than bacon, but then we're going to have to debate when to add tomato and Dijon Mustard.

A pepper-upper: a light sprinkling of a goog grade of Chili Powder.

Best grilled cheese i have tasted was a Portuguese Cheese called Azeitao

Fantastic

The best I've had were all home made to a fairly similar pattern - open face on a halved baguette (ideally a mild sourdough) or similar, grated mix of extra sharp white cheddar and milder cheese (mild yellow cheddar, colby, jack, havarti, doesn't really matter since it's to smooth out the texture and add moisture to the extra sharp cheddar more than its own flavor), a very little butter and garlic on the bread under the cheese.

Have yet to see a restaurant grilled cheese come close.

A grilled-cheese-and-bacon with two sliced of sourdough or white bread and a creamy American process cheese (NOT Kraft or other cheese product) is a very enjoyable sandwich in its own right, but sans the bacon it is definitely not up to the one above.

The Cheese Shop in Williamsburg Va makes an awesome grilled cheese- 5 different cheeses combined into melted, crispy goodness.

I need to try that next time I'm down that way. :)

I've been on a grilled cheese kick lately. Texas Toast, extra sharp cheddar. Shortly after I flip the sandwich to the second side, I cover the pan and turn off the heat.

I haven't ate the grill cheese for a long time. I loves to eat the grill cheese all of the times. Maybe I will try to makes a grill cheese sometimes this weekend.

Melt Bar and Grilled in Lakewood and Cleveland Heights, Ohio is supposedly very good. I'm hoping to try it in January. http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com/grilled_cheese/

I'm a real traditionalist on my Grilled Cheese. It has to be on white bread and with American cheese and I believe the best is the one I make at home. I find it hard to pay for it in a restaurant as they charge usually $4.50 and up and I can make it just as good if not better at home.

I will pay for turkey melts however, now that's good eating.

At a now-closed restaurant in Newport News, VA, I used to order a grilled cheese and end up with a triple decker grilled cheese. This happened after a few complaints about how the kitchen couldn't figure out how to properly prepare a grilled cheese, which motivated him to teach them. :)

Best one certainly was at a deli shop in Carmel, CA. Couldn't remember the shop name though.

I am a fan of adding different flavors to my grilled cheese. I actually had one for lunch today and made it on sourdough bread.

A nearby restaurant serves grilled Asiago on sourdough with sliced tomatoes. Delicious.

Googies
 

The best grilled cheese I've had was at a Diner called Googies Italian. A close runner up would be Zaxby's grilled cheese sandwiches.

Welcome to Flyertalk, stoneyvictory! Are you a resident of the Southeast? We have Zaxby's here in Raleigh.

New restaurant at the train station in Boston. Only grilled cheese. Haven't tried it yet but it looks good enough to give it a shot.