Six signature sammies to sample on National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Cheesy does it! National Grilled Cheese Day falls on Tuesday, April 12, this year, and we’ve compiled six ooey-gooey sandwiches from local restaurants throughout the region that will have you saying—and sampling—cheese.
 

Broderick

The Broderick Grilled Cheese at this roadhouse restaurant (with locations in midtown and West Sacramento) features mac ’n’ cheese in its melty center, complete with Gruyere, sharp cheddar and blue cheeses formed into a hearty patty and fried. Chef Matt Chong adds tomato for a snap of acidity and extra shredded cheddar between slices of sourdough sourced from Village Bakery in Davis. For National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day at both locations, he is also adding applewood bacon and a cheddar cheese crust. Our suggestion? Ask for the sammie with a fried egg to boot. Midtown: 1820 L St. 469-9720. West Sacramento: 319 6th St. 372-2436. broderick1893.com

Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen

Drewski’s owner Andrew Blaskovich calls his food truck’s most popular dish The Hemi one “heavy-duty kickass sandwich.” And it’s no wonder: the sandwich combines pork shoulder braised in cola, cayenne, garlic and apple cider vinegar for three-and-a-half hours with caramelized barbecue sauce made from the drippings. The meat is then blanketed beneath creamy house-made mac ’n’ cheese made with havarti, aged white cheddar, Parmesan and Swiss and topped with more cheddar and caramelized onions before being grilled to crispy perfection. 502-0474. drewskis.com

The Rind

What better place to indulge in all things cheese than the restaurant that makes the dairy-derived delicacy the main attraction? Here at the popular midtown cheese bar known as The Rind, the humble grilled cheese is elevated to a veritable culinary art form. So much so that the sandwich occupies its very own section of the menu featuring a host of creative combinations. Its newest addition: The TBrieD (a takeoff of To Brie Determined). Unveiled earlier this month, the sandwich features a tantalizing combo of triple crème brie from Marin French Cheese Company in Petaluma, cured prosciutto, cayenne pepper, guajillo chilies, rosemary, thyme, lemon-soaked Fuji apple slices and, for good measure, drizzles of salted caramel sauce (!). 1801 L St. 441-7463. therindsacramento.com

Preserve Public House

Known for its for farm-to-fork fare, Preserve in Winters keeps a rotating menu and has just switched its popular brie and jalapeno jelly sandwich to an exclusive grilled cheese featuring Italian sprouting broccolini—an asparagus and broccoli hybrid with tender stems. But don’t turn up your nose to the green veggie just yet; it's char-grilled and topped with cheddar and fontina cheeses and chili flakes, then sandwiched between Sacramento Baking Company’s sourdough slices. Chef Avery Struthers says the broccolini adds “meaty juices” to the vegetarian-friendly sandwich that just might make it the best new way to eat your greens. 200 Railroad Ave. Winters. 795-9963. preservewinters.com

Block Butcher Bar

This charcuterie bar in midtown, which prides itself in house-cured meats and tempting boards of foreign cheeses, sticks to what it does best with the Block Grilled Cheese. With Vermont white cheddar, manchego, mozzarella and caramelized onions pressed between crunchy sourdough from Acme Bread Company in Berkeley, the sandwich is grilled on a panini press for a melted-through texture. Executive chef Allyson Harvie admits the grilled cheese is one of her guilty pleasures when she gets off of work. 1050 20th St. 476-6306. blockbutcherbar.com 

Bacon & Butter

Breakfast and lunch make a mouthwatering union in this ultimate brunch dish, The Grilled Cheese Benedict, at this popular Tahoe Park breakfast spot. Executive chef and owner Billy Zoellin builds it with yellow cheddar, Monterey jack and gouda from Petaluma Creamery on thick sliced challah that adds a tinge of sweetness to each bite. It’s then wrapped in bacon that’s tucked inside of a cheese skirt on the bread, topped with two poached eggs and homemade hollandaise sauce, creating what Zoellin calls “the perfect vessel for breakfast.” 5913 Broadway. 346-4445. baconandbuttersac.com

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