Not sure what it is about rainy days and comfort food like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup but they go well together. So when the rain decided to interfere and ruin my plans of a lazy day by the pool with my family, I changed my plans and headed out for lunch with them instead to the New York Grilled Cheese Co.
How did I hear about this place you ask? I discovered it quite by accident as I was browsing through Instagram. There on my feed was a picture of what looked like a stuffed waffle. It intrigued me enough that I looked it up and realized that this was not a waffle at all, but a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich that was cooked in a waffle press.
When I announced our sudden change of plans and where we were going my oldest daughter was not very excited. Not sure why, but grilled cheese is not her favorite food (this is putting it mildly). But my daughter is not your typical 11 year old, she rather have a salad or sushi than any other food. So as I read out the menu to her I could see that she was unhappy with my choice of lunch venue. However by the end of our meal even she was raving about this place.
The Food
Our order consisted of 2 grilled cheese sandwiches and 2 orders of fries. We finished off with a red velvet bread pudding. Did I mention that the menu has a NYC theme to it? Well it does, and the names are as original as the food itself. So our orders actually were named like this:
- The Meat Packing District (M.P.D): This is no ordinary grilled cheese. As you may guess by the name this Grilled Cheese includes meat. The sandwich is filled with mouthwatering Brisket, perfectly melted chive & horseradish cheddar and American cheeses. Then they top that off with caramelized onions and their aioli sauce before grilling it in a waffle press.
- The Broadway Classic: this is a classic grilled cheese but taken to the next level. Thick cut sour dough bread that has been brushed in a garlic butter then filled with ooey-gooey perfectly melted American and Swiss cheese mix.
- Tomato Basil Bisque: Mmmmm…. I think this was the best part of the entire meal. This soup was just sinfully good. It was rich and creamy, seasoned perfectly and just the perfect pair to the grilled cheese. Each sandwich comes with a 4 oz. portion to dip your sandwich in. I chose to upgrade my soup to 8 oz. and am I glad I did. Sorry Grandma but this soup is better than yours.
- Hot Pork Sunday: crispy waffle fries that have been seasoned to perfection are topped with BBQ pulled pork, cheese and chives.
- Yankee Fries: These waffle fries are tossed in Buffalo Sauce and then topped with melted Blue-Jack cheese jalapeños and fries. It was like eating Buffalo wings but with delicious crispy waffle fries.
- Red Velvet Bread Pudding: While this cake was good it was not great. To me it was not moist enough. It is a denser version of a red velvet cake with white chocolate chips and a marshmallow sauce drizzled on it. And while it was served hot, and we did finish it all, I just found it a bit lacking. Nevertheless it was a great ending to our meal.
Check out the rest of the menu here. All 7 grilled cheese sandwiches and the handful of side items look amazing. The table next to us kept raving about the bacon lollipops and the sweet potato fries with marshmallow sauce. And apparently they also have craft beers and wine (I did not partake in any so cannot comment).
The Location & Service
The New York Grilled Cheese Co. is located in Wilton Manors (location here). The restaurant itself is fairly small with just a few tables upfront and a larger area at the back. It seems like they converted what used to be a yogurt shop into this small restaurant so the layout is a bit awkward. It is a no frills place with friendly staff that is attentive to your needs. So while the overall ambiance or décor may be lacking it truly makes up for it in service and great food and to me that is far more important.
They now have a second location in Boca so if you live further north you can check them out there.
Conclusion
Not only did my husband and I love our food but my 2 girls enjoyed it as well. Believe it or not even my skeptical grill cheese hating 11 year old gave this place a thumbs up. And yes, she did try my grilled cheese dipped in the soup and declared that the soup made it taste great. We will definitely be back and if you are I the mood for some comfort food go have yourself a Grilled Cheese and Tomato Basil Soup at the New York Grilled Cheese Co.
Happy Roving!!!
2 comments
Thank you Joella for another great review.
Have you considered doing this for pay?
LOL – getting paid for it would be nice. But for now this is just for fun. I am happy to share with those who wish to read it and know that all opinions are mine and not influenced by a FREE item given or a paycheck received. If I ever get big enough that others want to pay me to do a review then great and I will strive to continue to be honest in my opinions and not swayed by a paycheck. But for now – my honest unpaid review is what you get.