Restaurant: Melt Shop
Cuisine: grilled cheese sandwiches, fixins'
Location: various

Back to life.  Buh-back to reality.  Upon my return from Belize last week, my spirits were about as low as NYC's un-Spring-like temperatures.  And how could they not be?  Instead of beginning my days with seaside breakfasts and leisurely swims, I found myself, once again, being awoken by the startling shriek of my 6am alarm clock.  This was followed by dodging massive crowds and attitudes as I navigated my way back to the office.  Sigh. 

In an effort to cheer me up, Em suggested that we meet for lunch.  "There's this great new spot, in between both of our offices, called 'Melt Shop'...I won't take 'no' for an answer, Missy."  After looking at the menu online, there was no argument.  Grilled cheese did, in fact, sound pretty damn good.  We settled on a 1pm lunch date.

Located in Citigroup Center's (Is it still called Citigroup Center?) outdoor plaza/courtyard - merely steps from the E, M, and 6 subway lines - is a random take-out window that appears to have been built in to one of the Center's retaining walls.  The only article differentiating this particular kiosk from its neighbor, Dunkin Donuts, is a bright-yellow awning that screams, "Melt Shop."  Well, that, and the winding, snake-like line of hungry Midtown employees patiently waiting their turn to order a grilled cheese sandwich.

Having perused Melt Shop's menu prior to my arrival, I already knew exactly what I was going to order.  No questions asked.  While Em chose the "Three Cheese Melt," I stayed old-school: homemade lemonade sans ice, of course, homemade tomato soup, and "The Classic" grilled cheese (+ two optional additions, a sliced tomato and caramelized onions).  

After we placed our orders, Em and I stepped to the side of the long line and gathered napkins and condiments.  The woman who took our orders informed us that our names would be called once our meals were ready.  Not seven minutes later, our eyes lit up as "Emily" and "Lindsay" were yelled simultaneously.  We grabbed our respective orders and headed towards the Center's public indoor seating.

Look closely in to the window, folks. Tell me what you see. If you said "Zapp's Potato Chips," then you're a winner! My point? Melt Shop sells Zapp's. Major points.

From the picture, above, you will see two cups.  To the far left, homemade tomato soup and, to the right, homemade lemonade.  The box in the center contained my grilled cheese sandwich.

Homemade tomato soup

Imagine everything that Campbell's Condensed is not - vibrantly bright-red in color, slightly chunky with the occasional tomato seed, and a broth naturally sweetened by the hands of god...not by corn syrup.  This soup was definitely worthy of a slurp and a dunk, but would have been much better had it been slightly more seasoned.  With salt.

Homemade lemonade

Pulp-free, tart, tangy, sweet...the perfect 'ade to wash down a hefty grilled cheese sandwich.  Next time, I plan to sample Melt Shop's "Arnold Palmer," which is an even mix of lemonade and iced tea.

"The Classic" grilled cheese

Melted American cheese, *caramelized onions, and a *thick tomato slice were sandwiched between two slices of heavily-buttered white bread.  The result?  A masterpiece.  This is the type of sandwich where, when you take your first bite, you can literally hear the crunch from your teeth sinking in to the toasted, buttery bread.  A river of warm, gooey American cheese, paired with equal amounts of tomato and caramelized onion, follow.  Fireworks explode.  Rainbows appear.  Music begins to sound in your ears.

*Note: these items were add-ons.  "The Classic" is comprised solely of American cheese and white bread unless otherwise specified.

If you think, for one second, that I left so much as a crumb of my sandwich, then you obviously do not know me very well.  After this meal, I told myself that a grilled cheese, some tomato soup, and a lemonade was a semi-sensible lunch.  Heck, I could have ordered Melt Shop's "Shop (tater) Tots with Melt Sauce" instead of the soup, right?  That would have been further nutrional suicide, right?  After my mind's diet-angel and ravenous-devil came to a happy medium, I was thrown a curve-ball in the form of Melt Shop's "sweets" portion of the menu.  I made the mistake of asking for the flavors of the "homemade ice cream sandwiches."  Two words was all it took for me to succumb to complete diet derailment:

SALTED. CARAMEL.

A homemade *salted caramel* ice cream sandwich, you say?  I don't give a damn how fat or skinny I am, there is nothing - I mean NOTHING - that will ever stand in the way of me and salted caramel.  "One of those, please!"  I exclaimed to the cashier. 

To be honest with you?  I went back and forth about whether or not to post this particular dessert segment.  Why?  Because this ice cream sandwich was so f**king incredible, that I sort of wanted to keep the "secret" to myself.  Seriously.

But I'm nice.

A 1"-thick slab of extra-salty salted caramel ice cream was sandwiched between two handmade brownie "wafers," or what was probably the result of cutting a brownie in half and sticking ice cream inside.  Regardless, it was dynamite.  Apparently, these 'wiches are procured by a local bakery called Melt.  No relation to the 'Shop.  

In conclusion

GET. HERE. NOW.

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle