Milk Truck Grilled Cheese is the second phase of the Smorgasburg at Whole Foods at the Bowery. This is a unique pop-up restaurant/residency for one Brooklyn Flea/Smorgaburg food vendor every month. Each vendor (in this case, the Milk Truck) takes over one of the second-floor counters at the Lower East Side store, establishing a sort of “step up” space between a market booth and a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Keith Klein and his team of the Milk Truck set up shop during November 29th. Milk Truck Grilled Cheese will be at Smorgasburg Bowery through Saturday, December 22nd. Milk Truck does pretty much makes one particular thing and excel at it – grilled cheese sandwiches.
Various grilled cheese sandwiches
I went here with a few friends to try out the Milk Truck’s offerings since it was a freezing day and we were craving some ooey, gooey yet crisp grilled cheese sandwiches. My friend’s Milk Truck Classic with bacon
($6.75, plus $2 for the bacon) was sounds simple; aged Wisconsin Gruyere, cultured butter on Balthazar levain pullman bread but it swooned us. It was minimalism at its best. My Bacon Cheddar Blue ($8.50) made of thick sliced double smoked bacon, New York State cheddar, Wisconsin blue, caramelized onions and spicy pickles on rosemary pullman bread was complex with lots of flavor. I was surprised that the blue cheese was more for a background flavor note than being the predominant one but it was still an excellent, harmonious sandwich. The Three Cheese Grilled Cheese ($7.25) composed of aged Gruyere, aged New York State cheddar and Wisconsin blue with caramelized Granny Smith apples on Blue Ribbon Bakery rosemary pullman was another fantastic sandwich. The tart-sweet caramelized apples brought some brightness to all of that deliciously dense melted trio of cheeses.
Drinks and tater tots
We did have beverages of honey cardamom iced tea ($2 each) that had lovely floral notes from the spice and honey used and one of my friends had the chocolate milkshake ($5.50). I didn’t try the milkshake but she said it was fine.
Our sides of tater tots were crispy, hot and wonderfully spiced and had the tasty twist of having freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.
It’s an excellent, quick meal for those who crave well-executed grilled cheese sandwiches while shopping for groceries at Whole Foods (or if you’re in the area and can swing by).
Information:
Milk Truck at Whole Foods Bowery
Last day: Saturday, December 22, 2012
95 East Houston Street
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10002
Map
