Grilled Cheese for Charity

By: Elijah Dapkus

In February, 37 local businesses sponsored the Yamhill County Action Partnership’s (YCAP) food drive through a yearly tradition known as “The Melt Down.”

To participate, each business sold their unique version of grilled cheese sandwiches. For each sandwich sold, YCAP earned two dollars toward their initiative which focuses on “providing food to 17 emergency food pantries strategically located throughout Yamhill County,” according to the Food Bank page on YCAP’s website. Donors could collect Melt-Down-themed merchandise for each seven sandwiches they purchased.

Reporter Elijah Dapkus visited several Melt-Down-supporting businesses and assessed their sandwich offerings.

Barley and Vine Tavern

Sandwich: Prosciutto and Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese

Barley and Vine Tavern’s entry featured stacks of prosciutto, melty fontina cheese, pesto spread, and tomato sandwiched between sage butter rubbed sourdough toasted to warm the soul. This sandwich reminded me of something my mom may have made me when I was in middle school. The rich, briny prosciutto complemented the sweet and mild fontina. The crispy pesto toast would make a great side dish to any Italian meal. John, the bartender, is a kind and charismatic host eager to serve all YCAP supporters.

Good Company and Cheese Bar & Bistro

Sandwich: Fondue for Two

One of the more creative options came from Good Company. The Good Company emphasizes the melty goodness of alpine swiss and gruyere cheeses with their Fondue for Two. This fondue is like oobleck, if oobleck was cheese. This dish is best served hot, so they heat it by candle as you eat! It’s stunning, but simple; essentially, the only ingredients are cheese and white wine. Served with chunks of baguette and apple, this dish and Good Company’s vibe provide everything you need for a cute fondue date. This was my first time trying fondue and it won’t be my last.

Honey Pie Pizza

Sandwich: Honey Melt

Honey Pie Pizza deviated from their pizza-centric menu with this delectable two-cheese melt on house-made focaccia. The salty, gooey mozzarella and pecorino cheeses combined with the candied bacon and signature honey drizzle made this classic sweet-and-salty combo out-of-this-world delicious. They also served it with a generous side salad, to create the illusion that you are eating a healthy meal. Healthy or not, Honey Pie's sandwich was incredible.

J’s Family Restaurant & Lounge

Sandwich: Jack of all Melts

J’s “Jack of all Melts” sandwich takes the classic chicken-bacon-ranch combination to another level. The grilled sourdough bread has that trademark Monterey jack cheese crust J’s adds to most of their toasted breads. It’s stacked with turkey and bacon, and the drizzle of ranch dressing creates messy drippings: the mark of every good sandwich. It also allegedly has tomatoes, but J’s isn’t big on fruits or vegetables. Come hungry if you plan to eat this sandwich in one sitting.

There are many more contestant sandwiches from “The Melt Down.” Visit the Melt Down webpage to learn more about the foundation and find the Melt Down menu. Stay tuned for next February’s Melt Down.