National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, April 12, provides the perfect pretext to celebrate cheese melted between bread and fried up in butter. Ancient Roman cookbooks had recipes to make a cooked bread and cheese sandwich, and many cultures since have created similar takes on this ancient dish. Case in point: the French have the croque monsieur (a grilled ham and cheese sandwich); Mexico has quesadillas; and the Swiss, well, they melt the cheese and toast the bread separately before combining them. The classic American grilled cheese sandwich dates to the 1920s when, thanks in good part to James L. Kraft, inexpensive processed cheese became available (as did affordable sliced bread). Grilled cheese is now a chief comfort food in cafés, diners, school cafeterias, and a number of on-trend restaurants, including these local ones.
Birdsall House
970 Main St, Peekskill; 914.930.1880
The gastropub pairs a three-cheese griller featuring New York white cheddar, fontina, and imported gruyere on multigrain bread with house-smoked brisket, plus hand-cut fries on the side. Wash it all down with a brew from the eatery’s craft beer menu.
Bobo’s Café
249 US-202 #6, Heritage Ctr, Somers; 914.276.2233
57 Rte 6, Crossroads Plaza, Baldwin Place; 914.519.6227
3000 Westchester Ave, Purchase; 914.305.1074
1 Station Plz, Chappaqua; 914.861.8001
The family-owned eatery established in 1949 in Somers, with additional locations in Purchase, Chappaqua, Baldwin Place, and Ridgefield, CT, serves up four customizable grilled cheese sandwiches. Choose barbecue with pulled barbecue chicken and cheddar on sourdough; plain with American cheese, sourdough, and hot honey chips; tomato-bacon with American cheese on sourdough; or Italian with roasted tomato, mozzarella, and pesto on sourdough.
Bread and Brine
19 Main St, Hastings-on-Hudson; 914.479.5243
Bread and Brine scores big with a gourmet lobster grilled cheese: a quarter pound of succulent seafood and cheddar on white toast. This hefty sandwich weighs in at $32. The eatery also serves a tuna melt, a cousin of grilled cheese.
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Croton Colonial Diner
221 S Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson; 914.271.8868
Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., this diner is the go-to spot for grilled cheese sandwiches of all sorts. The “Grilled and Cheesy” section of the menu features not one, but five cheese-filled orders. The O.G. gets straight to the point with American cheese, while the Diner Deluxe jazzes things up with Swiss cheese, bacon, and grilled tomato. For those who love Italian food, the Boot, filled with fresh mozzarella, provolone, roasted peppers, and pesto, is a must. The Melt adds a hearty twist to grilled cheese, thanks to the addition of a burger patty alongside American cheese, with fried onions and Russian dressing to round things out. Last but certainly not least, the BBQ is true to its name with smoky-sweet barbecue sauce slathered over grilled chicken, cheddar, and smoked ham.
Horsefeathers
94 N Broadway, Tarrytown; 914.631.6606
Horsefeathers is a local haunt that serves up a touch of regional history (think the Headless Horseman) and boasts a grilled cheese sandwich that hits the spot when the lunch hour rolls around. It’s a combo of cheese and tomato and can be paired with either tuna or bacon for a meal guaranteed to satisfy.
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Melt Mobile
Westchester and Fairfield counties; 203.609.1422
This food truck and catering service covers Westchester and Fairfield with an abundance of grilled sandwich varieties, all made from scratch using local, seasonal ingredients. Add-ons include caramelized onions, sautéed wild mushrooms, vine-ripened tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, applewood-smoked bacon, and Granny Smith apples. Want catering? Elegant food trucks with top-notch service will deliver melts for 50 to 250 guests, along with your choice of hors d’oeuvres, salads, sides, and desserts.
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Melt Sandwich Shop
277 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains; 914.358.1364
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, Melt Sandwich Shop is a local favorite for fresh, made-to-order sandwiches and salads. Choose your bread and favorite toppings, and voila: sandwiches for dinner!
Put Some Meat on Your Bones
Mohegan Lake-Jefferson Valley
This food truck is an eat-on-the-run gem serving grilled cheese sandwiches of all sorts. Find the truck at the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown to get your cheesy fix when the cravings strike.
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Village Social
251 E Main St, Mount Kisco; 914.864.1255
67 Purchase St, Rye; 914.612.4267
Village Social certainly know how to cook up a meal in a sandwich. In its grilled cheese iteration, cheddar cheese and tender short ribs are grilled together in melty perfection and placed between slices of toasted sourdough bread. If the kids want to join in on the fun, there’s a grilled cheese and fries option on the menu for little ones, too.
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Wooden Spoon
1282 North Ave, New Rochelle; 914.278.9432
Wooden Spoon puts on a showstopper with a four-cheese blend on Texas toast and plenty of add-on options: bacon, tomato, fried onions, pulled pork, short rib, or Philly crab, paired with French fries, tater tots, or sweet potato fries.
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Related: 5 Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches to Order in Westchester
