Between the Bread

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of the great American comfort foods: almost all of us have memories of someone we love grilling up cheese sammies with care. Not surprisingly, this delicious simplicity lends itself to nostalgic one-upmanship and friendly competition, including an annual Grilled Cheese Invitational and my own local Grilled Cheese-Off.

The very basic requirements — bread, cheese, meltiness — lend themselves to countless creative combinations, resulting in another modern grilled cheese phenomenon: the grilled cheese sandwich-centric restaurant. Check out five temples to the tasty classic after the jump.

I love a good cup of corner-deli coffee, where they fix up the cream and sugar for you like at a New York bodega. Which is why I first fell for Henry's Deli, located on the ground floor of the building where I work and about the size of a microwave. But this teeny tiny store selling cigs and sodas also offers another San Francisco treat: the exceptional corner-store sandwich.

A few co-workers told me to try Henry's sandwiches, prepared much the way you would at home (Orowheat bread, toaster and microwave, no counter space) with prices to match. Usually on the rare days I venture out for lunch, I like to actually leave the building. That is, until a recent busy, rainy day, when I stopped in for Henry's veggie burger.

Curious about why it deserves a post?

Sports and sandwiches go hand in hand — literally. So naturally, ESPN is hosting Fanwiches contest to discover America's greatest sports-inspired sandwich. Ike's Place has two sandwiches in the running: the Matt Caine (roast beef, salami, turkey, mozzarella sticks, Ike's dirty sauce, Ike's godfather sauce, avocado, and championship onion rings) and the Jim Rome, one of my personal favorites, pictured below.

The delicious Rome, made with turkey, avocado, cheddar, and red pesto, is one of the most conquerable sammies in the contest. Which is precisely why you should vote for it. Sports, after all, are about passion, and it's much easier to feel passionate about a well-made, delicious sandwich than a mere exercise in excess. Consider the The Adam Emmenecker Challenge from Des Moines, currently in the number one spot. It includes five pounds of sandwich — pork tenderloin, Angus steak burger, Texas brisket, apple wood bacon, and fried cheese, finished with buffalo chicken tenders and fries — that customers must eat in 15 minutes. Ugh.

Ike's Place, on the other hand, knows how to make excessive sandwiches (like the Matt Caine) that still sound and taste delicious. So go Ike's, and go vote!

I know I am a bit late on this, but frankly, it's never too late for a movie montage devoted to sandwiches. I think my favorite moment is the Denzel closeup, though I am also partial to Dave, as it's one of my favorite movies and I know that's exactly what I would do if I were let loose in the White House kitchen.

I would also add to the list the recurring sandwich subplot in Bad Santa: "I don't want any f-ing sandwiches. What is it with you and fixin' f-ing sandwiches?" Your turn: what's your favorite cinematic sammie?