Weekly Lunch Pick
The Grilled Cheese
This Kensington Market restaurant elevates a cafeteria classic to a delectable lunch, served with a creamy soup and a shot of nostalgia By Renée Suen
Fast and curious: sandwiches at the Grilled
Cheese are served up quickly with some
original flavours, like portobellos
Image credit: Renée Suen
The place: Known for adding a twist to its namesake dish, Kensington’s Grilled Cheese is filled with the scent of melted cheese and the sounds of CBC Radio. Combined with the mishmash of vintage chairs and tables, the place feels like a cozy cabin.
The crowd: Just before noon, a line starts to form—mostly neighbourhood families, leather-clad hipsters and workers from Toronto Western Hospital. While some gather around the communal picnic tables or cozy up in booths in the back, most take their sandwiches to go, usually to Ronnie’s Local 069, the bar across the street.
The deal: Ten sandwich options ($6–$10) and a handful of add-ons (bacon, ham, mushrooms, roast beef, $2). We opt for the combo, which comes with soup and starts at $10.35.
The meal: The tomato soup is a smooth and flavourful concoction peppered with rehydrated bay leaves, and the golden sandwich is pressed mushroom madness. Crisp, butter-brushed slices of Silverstein’s whole wheat enclose a filling of sautéed portobellos, garlic and a smothering of melted cheddar. The remaining space of our waxed paper–lined plastic basket is occupied by a quarter wedge of a Strub's pickle and a handful of plain ripple potato chips, both providing a few more nostalgic bites to this school cafeteria classic.
The time: 28 minutes.
The cost: $12, including tax and tip. Cash only.
The Grilled Cheese, 66 1/2 Nassau St., 647-347-7062.
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