Locali's "Da Vincheese" won in the Professional "Kama Sutra" CategoryPhoto: Melissa Rosen
An expanded Grilled Cheese Invitational spread out this past Saturday at Center Studios, with eternal lines that shook us with flashbacks of the Street Food Festival's clusterhump here in February. Getting close enough to see, let alone buy, most of the 250 sandwich entries presented great difficulty, but we spied some zany versions floating past the sample-dispensing Tillamook Truck. There were grilled cheese made with chocolate, red velvet, Funions, maple syrup, cheese of every shade, and enough pork-products to induce nightmares, as well as one named for Morrissey and Rob Drydek's Cheese Ballin' crew, among a cast of costumed cheeseballs. We loved Hot Knives' "Band Camp" grilled cheese with aged cheddar and apple butter, Grilled Cheese Truck's brie with cranberry, and The Oaks' black forest bacon sandwich. So, who won prizes for their creations?
Grilled Cheesse InvitationalTatiana Arbogast
Celebrated cheese-testant and past victor Heidi Gibson, owner of San Fran's future American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, won Judge's Choice for a "Sunday Brunch" grilled cheese, while Dylan McDonald and Nicole Anderson's cinnamon-toast "Cream Cheese Dream" earned the duo "The Grilled Cheese Champion" title. A full list of winners is due
to appear on the Invitational's website today.
Grilled Cheesse InvitationalTatiana Arbogast
In the professional category, small locavore
Locali won big, showing up some of the town's cheesiest names like Eric Greenspan and Campanile. Locali's Heather Joy Morrison won first place in the "Kama Sutra" category for her "Da VinCheese" sandwich on Kalamata olive bread with organic goat chevre, organic provolone, and organic Swiss, stuffed with eggplant, garlic, Balsamic, olive oil, honey, salt, and cracked peppercorn, and topped with Italian herbs. If you missed the event but want to taste one of the town's reining recipes, Locali is showcasing the DaVincheese through May for $8.95. While awaiting next year's no-doubt bigger event, Greenspan is unleashing his Grilled Cheese restaurant next to
The Foundry sometime this late-summer and as always,
Campanile extols the comfort classic with a new version every Thursday night.
Locali's heather Morrison returning with her trophyMelissa Rosen
