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A GUIDE TO EATING


by Kirk Ross
Cheese + Grill
The thing about grilled-cheese sandwiches is that just about everyone has their own version – because not only are they simple to concoct, but there is the distinct chance that there will be a nibble of fried cheese in store for the chef at the end of the process.
Three words of advice from this flat-grill veteran: Shred the cheese. This makes it far easier to embed items like capers, sun-dried tomatoes or – heck – bacon-bits.
After inquiring as to favorite styles, The Eater was hit with everything from our Hillsborough friend’s fundamentalist Kraft Singles/Wonder Bread/butter combo to this contribution from April McGreger, who has recently returned to market assisted by a guy named Moe: “The Carrboro Farmers’ Market special: Chapel Hill Creamery Hickory Grove grilled cheese with Farmer’s Daughter kimchi on Chicken Bridge Bakery sourdough.”
The Eater is also in firm agreement with those who say a cast-iron skillet is the only way to go. If you don’t have a skillet or want to try this town’s take on grilled cheese, there are a lot of options.
In Carrboro, there’s the pressed, very cheddar Cheesy at Neal’s Deli; Milltown’s avocado/tomato/red onion with sharp cheddar on focaccia; Jessee’s grilled cheese, which also features avocados; and the grilled pimento at Spotted Dog.
The Big City features several grilled-cheese variations, most notably the Greek grilled cheese with all the fixins at Margaret’s Cantina. Elsewhere in Chapel Hill, try the gruyere-based grilled cheese served with sautéed cremini mushrooms at Sandwhich and the variation with green tomatoes at the Carolina Inn.
And if you’re ever in Pittsboro and are looking for adventure (who isn’t), stop by City Tap for the Chatham Chutney, which is described on the menu thusly: sharp cheddar cheese, Granny Smith apples, onion on sourdough bread smothered with local Kerala chutney (mild or hot). Note: Don’t let the idea of Chatham County Kerala fool you – hot means hot.

Drumroll, please
The annual black-tie ceremony at which the James Beard Awards are announced will be held Monday, and that’s when we’ll find out if Lantern’s Andrea Reusing can add Best Chef in the Southeast to the dust jacket of her new book.
Also in the list of nominees is Crook’s Corner and owner Gene Hamer. The restaurant is one of five vying for the America’s Classic Restaurant award, which goes to “restaurants with timeless appeal, beloved in their regions for quality food that reflects the character of their community.”
Sounds about right.

Soft-shell season
It’s molting season for the blue crab, North Carolina’s most abundant seafood. That means soft-shell season is upon us. It should last for several weeks, and, according to lore, the full moon in mid-May offers the sweetest crabs of the season.
A couple of lingo tips: a jimmy is a male; a peeler is a crab that’s about to molt; the standard sizes are (from smaller to larger) mediums, hotels, primes, jumbos and whales.