We all know that making a decent grilled cheese doesn’t require a membership in Mensa. I mean, I was making them at 7 years old…sure they were more often burnt to a black crisp than a nice golden brown, but I just called it “extra toasty.” A number of joints around the country have popped up, determined to push the grilled cheese sandwich where it has never been before, including places like Cleveland’s Melt Bar and Grilled, Austin’s Chedd, and NYC’s Melt Shop. So when I first heard about Ruthie’s Rolling Café, one of Dallas’ freshest food trucks dedicated to the humble grilled cheese, I was intrigued. Personally, I love the idea of dedicated cuisine. If you do one thing, do it right, I always say…okay, I don’t actually say that very often, but if you are only doing one thing and you suck at it, you may want to reconsider the direction your life is heading. I digress. I hoped that with Ruthie’s, this would not only be the beginning of a long, fruitful relationship between me and some beautiful sandwiches, but that Ruthie would pave the way for a grilled cheese revolution.
I am happy to report that Ruthie’s makes a mean grilled cheese. Perhaps you have been reluctant to jump on the food truck bandwagon. I know I have been, as I typically prefer, you know, chairs, air conditioning, and tables, but I can put all those niceties out of mind for some Ruthie’s. Even if I had to eat her sandwiches in a dark alley behind the Wal-Mart while lying on a bed of nails inside a dumpster, I would have no complaints.
While patrons are afforded the ability to create their own combination of bread, cheese, meats, and condiments, my personal favorite would have to be the grilled sourdough with sharp cheddar, bacon, grilled tomato and caramelized onions. Too often I’ve been served a grilled cheese so heavily laden with butter that the finished product comes out soggy and limp. No one wants that, trust me. But Ruthie is doing things perfectly. The bread has a perfect buttery crisp exterior with a soft chew retained from the exceptional sourdough. The cheese is, of course, hot and melted throughout, the bacon thick and crisp, with the tomato adding a touch of acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese and bacon. No joke, it’s a darn near perfect sandwich. Pair it with whatever you like as a dipping sauce, but their special “slob sauce,” a secret tangy, creamy mixture is a perfect accompaniment in my opinion. However, I wouldn’t be upset if Ruthie decided to blend up their own version of tomato soup sometime in the future.
Help ease some of your holiday shopping stress and check them out while you are braving the crowds around town. Take it from a man who only lasted 30 minutes at Northpark Mall this weekend, you will want something to help relieve the tension, assuming you make it out alive.
