HE SAID

The Grilled Cheeserie made its debut in Nashville in November 2010 and was one of only two mobile food vendors. Since that time, we have seen an explosion of the food truck scene, with almost 40 trucks. This nostalgic food truck, serving up gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, and homemade pudding, continues to set the standard for excellence. Chef and owner Crystal De Luna Bogan has become beloved by Nashvillians and boasts over 9,000 Twitter followers!

I’ve had the opportunity to see them from Day 1. Crystal is a classically trained chef, who worked with Nashville restaurateur Arnold Myint. Her fine dining background allowed her to take classic American food memories and give them an epicurean flair. We all remember the grilled cheese our mom made us – ours was Iron Kids Bread with a slice of Kraft cheddar cheese. Mom would also pop open a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and heat it up so we could dunk the sandwiches into it. It was perfect comfort food.

Crystal has embraced that iconic memory and elevated to something that we can still enjoy with more developed palettes and mesmerizing combinations of flavors. I think Zarna and I have pretty much tried everything on the menu, plus the weekly specials….and probably the seasonal specials too. I have yet to eat a sandwich I haven’t loved. One can choose between making your own melt or one of the specialty melts. My personal favorites are the Pimento Mac n Cheese Melt – which combines mac n cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich, with bacon (how could you NOT be all over that?!) – the Caliente Melt, which has chorizo, caramelized onions, jack cheese, and pickled jalapenos – and the croque madame which has mustard, rosemary ham, and a fried egg. The cheese is always perfectly melted and the bread is toasted so it’s crunchy on the outside and gives way to tender, ooey, gooey, cheesey goodness in the middle. Crystal’s unique combinations just keep me coming back for more!

On the side, I love the roasted tomato soup and the old fashioned soup (flavored with benton’s bacon) – both of which are great for dunking. But I really love the tater tots, especially the winter version topped with chili and cheese! The puddings are a great dessert option. A few of my favorites, since they change every week, are the salted caramel, Mexican chocolate, and pumpkin dulce de leche! An assortment of chips and soda are also available. I highly recommend the Abita root beer, because it’s the best root beer ever made.

A trip to The Grilled Cheeserie will always bring you back to your childhood. And I think one of the reasons I keep coming back is because it’s not just food that fills you up, it’s food with soul. Every one of us can go to The Grilled Cheeserie and see something that we’ve had as kids. But those memories are elevated to something spectacular and new. The genius of Crystal’s creations are that the grilled cheese sandwich is just a vehicle for trying something different – it’s her palette upon which she brings different,  experimental flavors into a familiar bite.

Sometimes you might have to wait in line, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that they are cooking up something that can alleviate that problem. But you can rest assured that you will be eatin’ good!  So give The Grilled Cheeserie a shot – I mean, seriously, who can resist a grilled cheese?

-by Vivek

SHE SAID

You know that moment when you slowly pull your sandwich apart and find that gooey cheese stringing from side to side? Welcome to every delicious sandwich at The Grilled Cheeserie, folks.  WARNING: This review could potentially sound like they paid me to write such wonderful things, but seriously, it’s just that good!

The other day I was heading over to my favorite coffee shop, Crema Coffee, for a seriously good brew. Another thing I love about Crema: The Grilled Cheeserie usually parks there once a week! I trotted on over to make my order, where the owner, Crystal, was there to greet me.  She’s always so bubbly and nice and always has great vegetarian options for me! I’ve literally tried all of the vegetarian sandwiches on their menu (all delicious!) and decided to make my own melt.  This time I had buttermilk cheddar, tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos on rosemary garlic bread.  Um…wow! This thing was delicious and it might be my go-to melt if I’m not ordering the special of the week or something off the menu!

The Grilled Cheeserie isn’t all about the melts. They also have the most amazing sides! My personal favorites are the tots with the delicious tot sauce. I hate soggy tater tots, and these are always perfectly crispy on the outside. Literally, I’ve had them around five or six times and they’re always perfectly cooked – now that’s talent!

Crystal also has two tomato soups (I prefer the roasted tomato soup as it’s vegan and full of flavor).  Then comes one of the most popular items on Crystal’s menu – the pudding! She makes a different one every week and I know people who go to her truck just for the pudding.  My personal favorite was the Salted Caramel; it was actually the first pudding she ever sold on the truck!

Seriously, if you live in Nashville and haven’t visited The Grilled Cheeserie, I would run/skip/hop over to them immediately! The best way to find their location is through their Twitter account (@GrlledCheeserie).  The only downside is on a busy day it could take a while to get your sandwich, so if you only have an hour for lunch it might be best to visit them on the weekend when you have more time or earlier/later in their service hours!

-by Zarna