eat well, laugh often: The American Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is quite trendy in San Francisco right now. With restaurants like The American Grilled Cheese and The Melt, popping up left and right, it is apparent that others enjoy grilled cheese as much as I do. Turn this simple comfort food into quite the culinary experience by adding flavorful cheeses and crème fraiche (to the tomato soup) and you’ll soon have a cult following. Reid and I visit The American Grilled Cheese, located in SOMA, quite often; (1) because it’s conveniently located walking distance from our apartment (score!) and (2) it is simply delicious!

The majority of the seating is located outside (a pitfall for chilly SF days), but there are plenty of bar seats indoors, in case you forget your Patagonia. This cheese heaven offers seven types of grilled cheeses and two soups so you can vary your order a little bit each time. They also have a breakfast menu, mimosas and a few beers on tap…not too shabby for a grilled cheese restaurant.

I've sampled three American Grilled Cheeses: the Mousetrap (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Monterey jack, on sourdough), the Mushroom Gruyere (fontina, gruyère, roasted wild mushrooms + gold potatoes, melted leeks, caramelized onions, thyme butter on levain) and the Jalapeno Popper (chèvre, Monterey jack, applewood-smoked bacon, apricot-jalapeño relish on levain). All are phenomenal but my go-top is the Mousetrap. If you like spice, order the Jalapeno Popper. It is sure to leave your mouth burning.

Reid always orders the Club Turkey (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Willie Bird smoked turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, Sierra Nevada stout mustard, roasted tomatoes, arugula) but last weekend he ventured out and tried the Foghorn Leghorn (Point Reyes blue cheese, creamy havarti, Zoe's Roasted Chicken, arugula, dill-dijon mustard on whole wheat). Although you can't go wrong with either, he's definitely more of a Club Turkey kind-of-guy.

Definitely take advantage of The Red, White & Blue Plate Special, which offers you a cup of soup and half of any of their grilled cheeses - allowing you to sample a little bit of each. We always order the tomato soup to accompany our sandwich; with crème fraiche and croutons, this tomato soup has won a place in our hearts.