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Best Ways To Celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day In NY

By Carly Petrone

April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Day and New York is fully prepared to participate. From grilled cheese sandwiches stuffed with lobster to a side of tomato soup to dunk each bite into, here are six restaurants celebrating this foodie holiday.

Ainsworth
64 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10003
212-419-1151
www.theainsworth.com

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Attention bacon lovers! The Ainsworth is combining two classic American favorites into one delicious dish this National Grilled Cheese Day. Bite into their Grilled Mac n Cheese with Candy Bacon Sandwich along with a side of tomato ragu (to dunk it into) and enjoy every last bite. This mouth-watering creation is sure to please and will definitely keep you full until your next meal. Available at all Ainsworth locations.

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker St.
New York, NY 10014
212-243-3289
www.murrayscheese.com

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You know the folks over at Murray's Cheese are doing big things for National Grilled Cheese Day. Stop by every Monday in April to find out which grilled cheese sandwich they're featuring on the menu. Each one will feature different types of milks (cow, sheep, goat, and water buffalo). The week of April 9 will showcase The French Onion Sheep Grilled Cheese – sheep's milk cheese with Three Little Figs French Onion confit, cornichons, and fried onions on sourdough bread. Yum! To honor this decadent holiday, the shop is giving away 100 vouchers for a free Murray's Melt to the first 100 people who purchase something in their Bleecker St. store on that day. Come hungry!

Le District
Brookfield Place
225 LIberty St.
New York, NY 10281
212-981-8588
www.ledistrict.com

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Head downtown to Le District, the French marketplace located in Brookfield Place, where you'll find a perfectly paired duo of a glass of wine and a Trois Fromage Croque. This French grilled cheese from the Fromagerie stall and Bar a Vin is $18 and available all month long! The Trois Formage is decadent in every way thanks to enticing ingredients like Swiss raclette, comte, grueyere, and caramelized onions. Diners can also enjoy a classic Ham & Cheese or Fresh Mozzarella, not to mention a Ratatoullie (house-made ratatouille, fresh goat cheese, and arugula). There's also the Red Wine Pears option, which includes fresh brie, arugula, and walnut pesto. Any of these savory toasties will make you smile!

Melt Shop
55 W. 26th St.
New York, NY 10010
212-447-6358
www.meltshop.com

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The Melt Shop has a variety of grilled cheese options to help you celebrate this ooey-gooey foodie holiday. Top in for their Truffle Melt (muenster, arugula, black pepper, and truffle oil on country white), Roasted Veggies (roasted tomatoes & mushrooms, arugula, goat cheese, muenster & parsley pesto on multigrain) or the crispy Fried Chicken (pepper jack, red cabbage slaw & Melt Sauce on country white). Of course, you can always upgrade your order to a Burger Melt, which includes American & NY cheddar, pickles, caramelized onions and burger sauce on country white.

Junior's Restaurant
1626 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212-365-5900
www.juniorscheesecake.com

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You may think of cheesecake when you think of Junior's Restaurant but did you know they're busy serving up one of the thickest grilled cheeses in the city? Dive into their enormous Grilled Cheese on Thick Cut Challah with steak fries on the side. Not sure which type of cheese you want? They've got plenty of options ranging from cheddar and mozzarella to American and Swiss. You may not have room for one of their iconic slices of cheesecake – but you can always get it to-go!

Luke's Lobster
124 University Place
New York, NY 10003
917-475-9191
www.lukeslobster.com

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Upgrade your grilled cheese this holiday with a crustacean-packed cheese sandwich from Luke's Lobster. Yep, you can get one made with your choice of lobster ($13) or crab ($10) layered between creamy layers of gruyere. Can't make it into the store? Check out the tasty recipe below and make it at home on April 12.

Ingredients:

For Luke's Special Seasoning:

  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Lobster Grilled Cheese:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 slices white bread
  • 3 slices deli-sliced Gruyère cheese
  • 1 pinch Luke's special seasoning
  • 2 ounces cooked lobster meat

Directions:

  1. Make Luke's special seasoning: In a small bowl, combine all the seasoning ingredients. Set aside.
  2. Make the grilled cheese: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Place the pieces of bread next to each other, pushing them around the pan lightly to evenly coat them with butter.
  3. Top each piece of bread with 1½ slices of the Gruyère cheese and sprinkle one slice with the pinch of Luke's special seasoning, then cover the pan and cook until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid and spread the lobster meat over the melted cheese on one piece of the toasted bread. Flip the other on top to sandwich and make the grilled cheese. Let cook until the lobster is warmed through, 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and serve.

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Carly Petrone is the founder of Petrone on the Rocks, a lifestyle site about food, drinks, beauty, travel, and more. She lives in New York City.

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