Up in My Grill – How Much is Too Much for a Sandwich?

I have been known to pay a pretty penny for some good food.

And usually, I’m happy to do so (with the exception of a certain South American fusion restaurant in Doha who charged me five bucks for three small bread rolls recently – review coming).

But when this story popped up on my Twitter feed today, I did a double take.

Peter Gilmore is perhaps the best chef in Australia and his Snow egg has passed into culinary legend.

But AUD$22 for a grilled cheese sandwich? Well, that’s another matter.

$22 in other terms is QR57 or USD$15 or 10 quid in UK terms.

According to Gourmet Traveller it has five Australian cheeses: “C2 cheddar and Heidi Gruyère in there for bite, ricotta and mozzarella for texture, and l’Artisan Mountain Man, a washed-rind cheese from Timboon, in Victoria, for pungency. Oh, and there’s some black truffle thrown in for good measure, too.”

That’s a lot of cheese and a bit of truffle. The bread is brioche made from scratch and of course, it’s served (at the bar) of perhaps the most spectacular dining location in the world, Bennelong.

But this isn’t the most expensive sandwich in the world by any means – that honor goes to The Quintessential Grilled Cheese at Serendpity 3 in New York.

Edged in gold leaf, it is created from brie, champagne, lobster and truffle oil and costs a whopping US$214.

Chef Joe Calderoni said he had created the unique sandwich as a way of adding a little luxury into everyone’s favorite snack, he told The Daily Mail

‘We came up with grilled cheese because that’s the ultimate in comfort food. What better way to celebrate that sandwich than with the quintessential version of that sandwich?’ he siad.

Chef Joe Calderoni said he had created the unique sandwich as a way of adding a little luxury into everyone’s favorite snack.

‘We came up with grilled cheese because that’s the ultimate in comfort food. What better way to celebrate that sandwich than with the quintessential version of that sandwich?’ he said.

So extravagant is this delight, that it must be ordered 48 hours in advance.

Now I love cheese and I love a sandwich, but I’m a spur of the moment kinda cheese gal.

At a push I may be tempted to try the Gilmore Grilled Cheese, but I have one that I would choose above all.

My own.

Good grainy bread. Some Irish ham. Cheddar cheese slices, dijon mustard and finally some fresh pineapple, grilled French-style in a fry pan. The extra special secret? A slick of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread before frying in a non-stick fry pan.

And all in all…probably around USD$4.

And yes, I’m taking orders.