An Homage to the Grilled Fromage

April is National Grilled Cheese month — April 11 is National Fondue Day, April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, while April 17 is National Cheeseball Day...

I wonder who decides these things.

But why not honor one of the kingpins of comfort foods for a whole month? A quick perusal of local menus landed me with a handful of options for finding one. It may be overshadowed by more showy menu items, but sometimes it's creamy, warm simplicity just hits the spot ... and even though it's do-able at home, it is usually better in a restaurant.

's version has American cheese, bacon, tomato, and onion.

  has three, all served on whole wheat from -
sharp cheddar, basil pesto & tomato or roasted veggies Irish sharp cheddar & hummos beets, rosemary, goat cheese, spinach & caramelized onions.

 on Hilliard, has a Bavarian Melt Sandwich with ham, American cheese & tomatoes.

has the classic pair- Grilled Cheese and Creamy Tomato Soup with six-year aged Widmer cheddar on country French batard.

 has a Grilled Cheese & Tomato Bisque- a cheddar, provolone, bacon and tomato soup.

 dedicates their whole menu to grilled cheese in one form or another...

MELT was the obvious place to start, but I found myself waiting among a growing crowd of hungry people. MELT's many foodie awards range from Best Sandwich in Cleveland to Best Suburban Hot Spot to Best Place to Break Your Diet... Their popularity is not a big mystery: once seated, the service is fast and friendly and the prices are reasonable ranging from $5.50 for The Kindergarten to $13 for the Lake Erie Monster. Unfortunately, a glimpse at the waiting list- after waiting for 45 minutes- inspired us to look elsewhere. We walked a block west to Deagan's- a 45-minute wait, as well...

Searching west on Detroit, we discovered has baked feta with roasted red peppers, topped with lightly toasted Béchamel Sauce, served with their warm pita bread.

I didn't expect to find it where I did, but I got my grilled cheese last night and it was gooey, toasty and salty — I think we scraped every last crispy bit off the plate and then ran some pita over the dish just to be sure there wasn't anything left behind.