I got "Cheesed Out" at the Big Cheesy Event!!

So where, to start? There is so much to say about this event!!! I was skeptical coming into it, spending $25 for only an hour of my time. Meanwhile, after a half hour of the event, I was so stuffed full that I couldn't imagine eating for the remaining second half of the hour. This hourly schedule they had was a great idea, because unlike most other food events, it wasn't jam packed full of people and lines. This kept the crowds down, and made each guest able to jump right up to the table for their tasting, and perhaps even their second tasting! :) All in all, it was a great value.

First, when we arrived at the OpenHouse Gallery, we were each given a ping pong ball for voting that we would put in a clear vase on the table of the vendor we liked the most! I thought this was a cute idea, because the higher the balls piled up on each table, the more apparent it became that the vendor would win. The winners of the whole event I have posted at the bottom of this blog :) 

Then after checking in, we were given our choice of various kinds of Six Point Craft Beer that is brewed in Brooklyn. I went with the one that was suggested by the guy giving them out, but to be honest, I thought the beer was a little heavy to ingest while eating grilled cheese, so I only finished half of my beer. Once in the event, I later had wine :) 

All ready to go enjoy some grilled cheese! 

The set up of the event...and yes, not too crowded! 

Murray's Cheese

The first table we went to was Murray's. Their sandwich contained braised short ribs, taleggio, caramelized onions, piri piri, fire roasted jalapeño peppers, McClure's Spicy Pickle Relish, and Arugula on Pullman Bread. Originally, at first bite, this grilled cheese seemed amazing, but I had no idea what I was going to ingest the rest of the day from the other vendors. Yes, this was a perfectly delicious sandwich, and if I was not going to consume sandwiches from 6 other restaurants, I would be perfectly happy with this one, but I must say, it did not win my final vote! I did like the hot sauce that they included with it. It added some kick to the sandwich. Without the hot sauce, it wasn't overly flavorful and tasted more like a standard grilled cheese with some meat added to it. 

Murray's Grilled Cheese Sandwich -Taleggio with braised short ribs, caramelized onions, spicy relish, jalapeno peppers, arugula and mazi piri piri hot sauce

Casellula Grilled Cheese Recipe, loved the Pickled Pepper Relish! 

Preparation of the Sandwiches

Spreading the amazing relish on the sandwiches

Casellula’s elegance: Scharfer Max, gruyer and Emmenthaler Swiss cheeses with pickled pepper relish

Casullula's Pickled Pepper Relish definitely made their sandwich. I don't even like relish usually, and this relish was awesome! I am a fan of spicy :) If it wasn't for the relish, I don't think this sandwich would have been anything special. I am always a fan of toppings, but sometimes if the toppings are what make the meal, then you have to wonder....Although, the sandwich had a great level of crispiness and texture, while the blend of the cheeses used was definitely savory! So good job guys! 

Big Daddy's - If I keep eating their sandwiches, I will be BIG!

Pouring the Truffle Oil on the Sandwich

Delicious Heart Attack Special - Macaroni with a parmesan crust and six different types of cheese, bacon, tomato, truffle oil on Orwasher’s Bread.

Now, one of my favorite things I like in food and cooking are when someone creates something ingenious and creative. Like when McDonald's came out with the McGriddle, I thought that was ingenious! A Pancake bun around an Egg McMuffin inside...mmm. Well anyway, I thought that macaroni and cheese inside of a sandwich was the most clever update to the standard grilled cheese sandwich I am used to. To make matters even more amazing, adding bacon, tomato, and truffle oil on top (my favorite food accessory!) made for an awesome food orgasm. I definitely had seconds of this one :)

Melt Shop!

Melt Shop Menu - Trio of Sandwiches 

Blue and cheddar cheese with bacon and cranberry pepper jam on sourdough (My Favorite)

3 is Better than 1! - Trio 

The Melt Shop catered to every taste. They had a sweeter sandwich, more savory sandwich, and a more rich sandwich. This made for a very interesting and amazing tasting experience. For the savory taste, they had sharp cheddar and pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce on sourdough bread. This one wasn't my favorite of their three sandwiches, but it was still very delectable. For the sweet flavor, which was my favorite, they served blue and cheddar cheese with bacon and cranberry pepper jam on sourdough bread. The cranberry jam flavor mixed with the cheese and bacon really made for an overall heavenly mouth sensation. It is always the unlikely flavors mixed together that make for the best final product. I may be hitting up the shop soon for another one of these! Lastly, for the more rich flavor, they combined goat cheese and fontina with roasted wild mushrooms and parsley pesto. I definitely really liked this one because I love Pesto. It was a little on the heavier side because of the pesto, but I loved the crunchiness of the mushrooms and the flavor of the fontina! This sandwich definitely felt fancy :)

Tartinery - Croque Monsieur

Open Face Grilled Cheese - Gruyere and ham with a fried egg on poliane bread

I will be honest, this next one I did not really like. The presentation was very nice, but it was extremely heavy to eat and a total mess. It was served open faced, and was very heavy on the egg flavor. I personally am not the biggest fan of scrambled eggs or omelets out at restaurants because I feel that they are so dense and filling and not as tasty as I can make at home. It was definitely an interesting idea and approach to the grilled cheese idea, but not something I would want to have for lunch. 

Tartinery - Croque Monsieur Tasting

Lucy's Whey

Lucy's Whey - Prairie Breeze Cheddar with Fig Jam and Olive Oil on Amy's Bread 

Lucy's Whey - Praire Breeze Cheddar with Fig Jam and Olive Oil on Amy's Bread

Lucy's Whey served the most standard grilled cheese at the whole event. It was tasty, but not totally thrilling and creative like the other ones. The bread it was served on was very soft and flavorful. My hatred for figs really rang true in this tasting because of the fig jam that was in it... So I have to say, it wasn't my favorite.

Little Muenster (My Second Favorite) 

They paired theirs with Homemade Tomato Soup and Wine

Little Muenster- Gruyere, tallegio and fontina cheeses with membrillo, a pear and apple paste, and prosciutto on organic peasant bread. Served with HomeMade Tomato Soup

Little Muenster was my other favorite. I had trouble choosing at the end which was my top, because their pairing of tomato soup really made this tasting extremely flavorful and refreshing. Their use of prosciutto in the sandwich made it extra special. I also thought it was cute how they used round bread versus square or triangle like everyone else. They also made sure their bread was super grilled with that extra added level of crispness. I told them "If I had two balls, they would definitely get one of them." (of course I was talking about the voting balls, but it didn't sound right coming out) 

Lounging in the Bean Bag Chair Room enjoying my Sandwiches 

After feeling completely stuffed, we all lounged in the extra room they had set up on the side of the event that was filled with bean bags and a wine bar that was complimentary. This was a nice relaxing way to spend the rest of our hour by slowly eating our second tastings and enjoying a glass of wine.

And the Winner's Are!!! 

The Big Cheesy champ!
Melt Shop’s sandwich trio: Sharp cheddar and pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce on sourdough bread; blue and cheddar cheese with bacon and cranberry pepper jam on sourdough; goat cheese and fontina with roasted wild mushrooms and parsley pesto.

Big Cheesy runner up
Little Muenster rounded grilled cheese: Gruyere, tallegio and fontina cheeses with membrillo, a pear and apple paste, and prosciutto on organic peasant bread.

Big Bronze
Lucy’s Whey’s Chelsea Market classic: Prairie Breeze cheddar with fig jam, sea salt and olive oil on Amy’s Bread.

Fourth Place
Big Daddy’s gigantic recipe: Macaroni with a parmesan crust and six different types of cheese, bacon, tomato, truffle oil on Orwasher’s Bread.

Fifth
Casellula’s elegance: Scharfer Max, gruyer and Emmenthaler Swiss cheeses with pickled pepper relish.

Most Underrated
Murray’s Atomic Bomb: Taleggio with braised short ribs, caramelized onions, spicy relish, jalapeno peppers, arugula and mazi piri piri hot sauce

Most Avant Garde
Tartinery’s Croque Madame: Gruyere and ham with a fried egg on poliane bread.

Overall, this event I thought was perfect. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends.