Cheese Boy, and Cheese Toasties in general

Grilled cheese is back, much like Laura Werlin's classic take on the subject, revised and reprinted for a new generation. Jonathan Kaplan, founder of now RIP PURE Digital (the US version, not the UK one which makes super radios) is moving from tech to cheese with his Melt chain (not to be mistaken for the Ohio chain, which predates it by several years).

Lunch vans are popping up in the USA from Los Angeles (The Grilled Cheese Truck) to Boston (check out Roxy's - you can spot them by their tattooed kid logo). Heck, you know it's mainstream when you find a grilled cheese speciality vendor in a mall food court.

I visited CheeseBoy in Boston's Prudential Centre. For just $2.99 you can get a basic, white cheese, toasted sandwich. Other fillings start from just 49 cents and more specialised sandwiches from $3.79. It's cheap - cheaper than a decent burger - tasty and a bit more novel than another pizza slice or sub.

However Boston's best grilled cheese for me was at Trident bookstore cafe on Newbury, where for $13 you can get a deluxe grilled cheese with provolone, tomato and bacon grilled between two thick slices of challah bread. Or go for soup and half a grilled cheese for $11.50. Yum. I'm off to turn the grill on...