Grilled Cheese at Uncommon Ground: Sometimes all you need is comfort food
This month's restaurant review takes us to Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, a short walk away from Wrigley Field. But it really began four years ago.
In the summer of 2020, I was reading the Chicago Tribune’s travel section. They were featuring a city in Wisconsin where each year a cheese festival was held. Also, talked about a restaurant that claimed they made the best grilled cheese sandwich anywhere. So, even amid the pandemic, it was time for a road trip.
Three hours and one hundred and fifty miles later, we arrived. Thirty minutes later we left, extremely disappointed. Not a thing we read about the town, city or restaurant was true. It wasn't the worst grilled cheese sandwich, but we could get it anywhere in our neighborhood or even make it at home.
If I’m telling you I am willing to travel three hours for a sandwich, then you must realize I love grilled cheese. Let's face it, there isn't any better comfort food, especially when you pair it with a bowl of soup.
Saturday night, we traveled to Chicago’s north side to see a concert at Uncommon Ground. Known for their coffee, they also have a full menu of food.
When I looked at their menu earlier in the week, my first thoughts were maybe fish tacos or a strawberry salad. But, after arriving at the venue, I looked again and saw the grilled cheese. It's a four-cheese sandwich, filled with cheddar, white American, swiss and chihuahua cheese. It comes on toasted sourdough bread with a cup of tomato basil soup.
The soup was fine, it could have been a bit warmer, but I didn't care because I was concentrating on the grilled cheese. It was a huge sandwich with the cheese pouring out the sides of perfectly toasted bread. After each bite, you savored it for a short time because you couldn't wait to get to that next bite.
This was easily the best-grilled cheese I’ve ever had. And you can get it, too. All it takes is a drive to Lakeview and sixteen dollars. Maybe stop off there before a Cubs game and then walk the two blocks over to Wrigley. Dinner starts at 4 on Sunday through Friday and 5 on Saturday. They also have a Sunday brunch.
Sometimes, all you need is comfort food. Uncommon Ground is the place to find it.
Nothing like the Ed Debevic's grilled cheese of old, when they were at 640 N. Wells. Nothing even close. Probably still worth trying (now they're at 159 E. Ohio, still closer than Wisconsin).