April Is Grilled Cheese Month

by KYLE RAYMOND FITZPATRICK · April 7, 2010

    April is a great month. Besides spring settling in, flowering plants, and gearing up to head out to the beaches, there is something else about April to get very, very, very excited about: Grilled Cheese Month. And, we here in Los Angeles, really know how to get into the holiday spirit!A lot of really great restaurants are getting involved in the month’s celebration and, even beyond GCM, still keep up with the luscious affair. We’ve peeked around town to find some places and events that have gone above and beyond putting a Kraft’s Single in between some Wonder Bread—these places are serious about their grilled cheese.

    Clementine's 9th Annual Celebration of Grilled Cheese Month Beverly Hill's Clementine has been holding their celebration of Grilled Cheese Month for nine years now—and always knows how to keep salivating GC fans at bay. This year, they are offering some brilliant items to their changing weekly menus. From an artichoke and olive Gouda GC to a cheesy take on the BLT to the Turkey Meatball Melt, you can—literally—have a different sandwich each day this month. But, if you can’t make it everyday, don’t stress about it: they are featuring the hometown favorite the last week of April, the sandwich everyone liked the most.

    The Oaks Gourmet A local favorite that understands the importance of GC outside of April, The Oaks Gourmet (affectionately named "The OG" by locals) hosts a GC night every Wednesday. Each hump day, before catching a Maude Show at UCB, check out their sandwich options, which come with a cup of their Homemade Tomato Bisque. And, while you’re there, might as well try some of their great cheeses, wine, and craft beers!

    Campanile If you can’t get enough GC, and Wednesday night at the OG isn’t enough, Campanile has a grilled cheese night every Thursday. Boasting to be the first restaurant in Los Angeles to have a Grilled Cheese Night, Campanile isn’t the most recession friendly of GC venues. Yet, with a rotating weekly menu of gourmet GC sandwiches, it may be worth spending the $20 or so dollars in honor of April (and at the place that, apparently, had the first GCN).

    LaBrea Bakery LaBrea Bakery is offering a specialty menu for us to get into the fun at home (or at their cafes). With some great, easy offerings, this is perfect for those on the go, watching their wallets, who cannot make it to the aforementioned restaurants. With LaBrea Bakery’s breads being quite prolific in town, we recommend experimenting with their recipes and breads at home. (Our pick is the GC sliders with their fantastic Olive Oval.)

    The Grilled Cheese Truck The winner of the Best Food Truck in Los Angeles, the Grilled Cheese Truck has been serving comfort food around town for almost six months now. There to ease your drunken state with their Brie Melt on Cranberry Walnut Bread and Cheesy Mac and Rib, the Grilled Cheese Truck is perhaps the most convenient and affordable venue in the city for Grilled Cheese.

    Grilled Cheese Invitational The most obvious event of the month, the Grilled Cheese Invitational on April 24 is the climactic celebration of Grilled Cheese Month. Beyond dueling sandwich makers, you'll get TONS of takes on the traditional Grilled Cheese sandwich, games and prizes, “yelling, kittens,” and even a beer garden, an item that has yet to make the coastal jump from New York to Los Angeles. Follow them along on Twitter and make sure you get your tickets—this is one Grilled Cheese event you do not want to miss!