Grilled cheese and guacamole make great companions
by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
Every person’s notion of “comfort food” is a little bit different, depending on childhood experiences and ethnic background. But there does seem to be a certain unanimity about the comforting properties of the grilled cheese sandwich. A whole lot of us must have been greeted by our moms, after a particularly hard day at school, with grilled cheese and a bowl of tomato soup.
We must need plenty of comforting these days, as even fancy restaurants like Oregon Grille offer grilled cheese sandwiches (theirs has Boursin and grilled Portobellos), and humbler cafes are ramping up their grilled cheese creations to appeal to adults whose palates are as cultivated as their souls are nostalgic.
I recently heard of a new place whose grilled cheese sandwiches, my informant told me, are among the best in town. It’s Fells Point’s Café Lattéda, and its thick, gooey multi-cheese sandwiches are accented by a layer of guacamole. As my daughter’s two favorite foods in the world happen to be one, grilled cheese, and two, guacamole, I immediately put Lattéda on my list.
The café’s space looks well lived-in, with chalkboard menus, an eclectic collection of art for sale, and, in back, computers (with free Wi-Fi), couches, games, and even a couple of guitars. They get used, too; we listened to an impromptu concert as we dined.
The famed grilled cheese was served on thick-cut panini bread, included a variety of cheeses—you can customize to your taste—and deserved its stellar reputation. (By the way, the guac can be served on the side if you, or more likely your kid, doesn’t like a sandwich that oozes green stuff.) Another grill, featuring white-meat chicken, blue cheese, and apple slices, provided similar satisfaction for more grown-up tastes.
Check the boards for a soup of the day, too; ours was a zesty vegetable with white beans.
Most of the baked goods are from local bakeries, but, we were told, there are usually some treats made by proprietor Jessica Obst. Lucky us: on the day we visited, these were great big chocolate cupcakes, with plenty of chocolate icing.
Smoothies are available, but disappointingly these are made from a mix rather than fresh fruit. Instead, take a cue from the café’s name, and order a latté or other coffee specialty. Or, as I did, Mexican Chai, made from chocolate and spiced chai tea—sort of an update on the hot chocolate I preferred with my grilled cheese in those long-ago childhood days.
The Latest Dish…
The Meals on Wheels Culinary Extravaganza has long dominated the April schedules of charity ball-goers and fine-food buffs. Haven’t heard much about it yet this year? That’s because a scheduling snafu resulted in a new date…in June. Still, it’s not too early to issue a save-that-date memorandum: the 15th annual Extravaganza is set for Monday, June 11 at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. The theme this year is “A Salute to American Cuisine,” and thirty local chefs, caterers, and other food celebs (hi there, “Ace of Cakes” Duff Goldman!) will be rustling up gourmet treats from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 ($115 of which is tax-deductible) and proceeds aid the organization’s fine work supplying meals to the homebound ill and elderly. If you’re interested, call 410-558-0932, extension 10928.
