This is the best grilled cheese sandwich in Cincinnati
I was on my way to vote last year when I first met former Cincinnati City Council member Liz Keating. She was standing in front of Clark High School, in Hyde Park, trying to rally voters as they headed to the polls. We recognized each other from social media and got to talking, not about politics but about grilled cheese sandwiches. She told me about how she and her late father would go out on “grilled cheese dates” to the Sky Galley, at Lunken Airport, and the Cricket Lounge, Downtown.
Since both of those restaurants are gone, Keating asked me who now serves the best version in Cincinnati. And while I had no answer for her at the time, after visiting Lost & Found in Over-the-Rhine last weekend, I think I just might. Lost & Found is much more of a hip, artsy cocktail bar than a father-daughter destination, but the sandwich hits all the right notes.
I should mention that I seldom order grilled cheese sandwiches for myself at restaurants, preferring, instead, to nibble the last few bites of the ones my daughter never quite finishes (so I've had my fair share). Like a lot of people, I also think grilled cheese without tomato soup (or bisque) is as incomplete as a burger without fries, Simon without Garfunkel. Turner without Hooch. Tango without Cash.
My friend, Carrie, had been raving about the grilled cheese and tomato bisque at Lost & Found for at least a year. And I'll admit I had Keating's question in mind last week when my wife, Amy, and I met up with Carrie and her husband, Adam, for Friday happy hour so I could try it out for myself.
Before I talk about the grilled cheese ($13), I should mention that all of the food we had at Lost & Found was exceptional in so many crazy and inventive ways. Their bolo dip, for example, is a minor work of genius. A small crock of Bolognese sauce is topped with fontina, ricotta and parmesan that’s torched just before serving. It’s served with crostini, and everyone in Cincinnati should order it. The chicken liver pate ($11) was rich, creamy and farmhouse-y. And if they were to sell the homemade Basque ketchup that comes with the Chips & Dips ($7) in stores, I think it would put Heinz out of business.
But back to the grilled cheese. There was nothing exceptional about it at first glance. But as soon as I bit into it, I could see what Carrie was talking about. Lost & Found uses a combination of sweet fontina, cheddar and nutty provolone. The butter on that Allez bread turned out to be garlic butter, which give the whole sandwich more depth and a pungent Italian-style punch.
Like the best grilled cheese sandwiches, this one had an intangible quality that transcends the sum of its parts. It speaks to memories of the best grilled cheese you ate as a kid. Maybe with your late father at the Cricket. Maybe at an old diner where you met up with your friends after school. After dipping each bite in the accompanying creamy tomato bisque – which was topped with olive oil and fresh herbs – I was hooked.
I’m not the first person to say how good the grilled cheese is at Lost & Found. Esquire magazine's In Transit show called it a must. So, Liz Keating, if you’re reading this, I think I have an answer to your question now. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Lost & Found, 22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine; lostandfoundotr.com, 513-834-8441.
Highly Recommended is a weekly spotlight on some of food writer Keith Pandolfi's favorite finds as he eats his way across Greater Cincinnati. Find more of his recent food writing here.
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