Say CHEESE!

My mom is an incredible cook. I know everyone says that about their mom, but really she is AWESOME! She is also one of the most selfless and humble people I know so she'll probably tell you otherwise, but just wait until you try her salsa or her cinnamon rolls. I have been spoiled on her cooking and have tried to take after her in the kitchen, but it is not an easy lead to follow.

Because I have been fed great food my whole life and didn't even know what a cake mix was until 8th grade, I am a food critic. Not a literal one of course, but I love trying all kinds of different foods. I love trying new restaurants, different bakeries, flipping through cookbooks, shopping at Williams-Sonoma (heaven), and even organizing pantries (yes I do that on a regular basis for my mom).

Some of my favorite foods involve one key ingredient. CHEESE! (mac'n'cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, potatoes, anything broccoli and cheese, and the list goes on). If I could have one meal for the rest of my life without an ounce of worry about calories or putting on any LBs, it would absolutely be macaroni and cheese. I could eat it every single day. When my brothers and I were younger there was always one way of knowing if my parents were going out for the evening and leaving us with a babysitter. My mom would ever so thoughtfully leave a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese on the counter. If we were really lucky we'd have hotdogs too. But that blue box was the only sign we needed. I love the homemade stuff, but the kinda from the box with the powder cheese hits the spot every time.

Back to my cheese fetish...next to macaroni & cheese is my love for a good grilled cheese sandwich. Now a grilled cheese sandwich of course comes in more shapes and forms than many may think. How do you make a grilled cheese sandwich? Butter both pieces of bread? Melted butter in the pan?  White bread? Wheat bread? Sourdough? What kind of cheese? Add tomato? Any spice? How crispy? When is it considered burnt? The way I grew up eating grilled cheese was my mom's way. Two pieces of white bread, butter on both sides, American cheese, grilled to perfection with a little crisp but still soft in the middle. Simple, to the point, and perfect. YUM!!

There was an article in the paper a few weeks ago about a place downtown called The Grilled Cheese and Crab Cake Co. My dad and I decided we owed them a visit after we read the article and both started to drool at the thought of this genius little place. An entire restaurant dedicated to grilled cheese sandwiches? Why didn't I think of that?! So last week my mom, dad, and I ventured to downtown Nashville to find this cute little restaurant nestled between some tall buildings and a few other dining places. The 3 of us decided to each get something different so we could try them all. Yes, we strategized the grilled cheese experience. Time was of the essence, who knew when we'd be back? I got the traditional: a very generous portion of white American cheese, melted between 2 perfectly grilled and buttery pieces of Texas toast. Oh yes, and a side of creamy tomato soup! My dad got the Crab Melt, the most popular sandwich; Monterrey Jack Cheese, slice of a tomato, and a fresh portion of crab meat grilled the same as the classic. My mom got the Grilled Cheese BLT: the classic w/a BLT touch. Let's just say, I will never eat another grilled cheese sandwich and not compare it to this experience.

I consider this little spot to be a new Nashville best kept secret. I had never heard of it, and it's not really in a location that you would pass by very often. But I will intentionally be passing by from now on. The prices are a little steep for a sandwich, but I promise you that you will get your money's worth and will leave with a full and happy stomach! It is obvious that the owner and his wife try their very best to please their customers. The owners' 4 young children work in the the restaurant with them. I can only imagine how fun it would be growing up with your parents owning a grilled cheese sandwich place, um hello how fun!?

So if you live in Nashville or if you're ever in town, make plans to take a trip to The Grilled Cheese and Crab Cake Co. You will not be disappointed!