Melt In The National Spotlight
Lakewood's own culinary delight, Melt Bar and Grilled, is no longer our best-kept secret: the purveyor of all things grilled cheese was featured in the May issue of Esquire's The Best Sandwiches In America.
Owner/Chef Matt Fish is thrilled with the announcement. "I am completely blown away by the exposure in Esquire," says Fish. "It is very hard to believe that my little Lakewood restaurant is being thought of on a national level. We try extremely hard to make every experience at Melt Bar and Grilled a great one. It is a real honor to be mentioned."
When Esquire put the call out in March for the best sandwiches, thousands of entries came in. Jennifer Brubaker of North Olmsted recommended the Parmageddon: "A grilled cheddar-cheese sandwich with potato-and-cheese pierogies, napa-vodka sauerkraut, and onion." The monster of a sandwich is served on Texas Toast and topped off with a huge serving of freshly-made fries. The deep fried Twinkies are a decadent, albeit artery-clogging, way to top off the meal. But considering you've just eaten probably a week's worth of fat, calories and carbs (but so worth it!), who cares?
While waiting to shoot the photos for this article, I got the chance to see Matt at work making the Parmageddon, which was interesting to witness. Everything on his menu uses fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, and every sandwich is made to order, right after it's ordered. This can mean sometimes lengthy wait times, but trust me, it's totally worth it. The flavors are bold, and the portions are just plain huge - a sight for sore eyes with the seemingly prevalent haute cuisine's 'small plates'. Very tasty, indeed.
