Ode to the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Today is National Grilled Cheese Day and Russ Johndrow is ready for it.

The daily sandwich special at in downtown Rockville was nothing to shake a spatula at - a three-cheese, tomato and basil sandwich on grilled cheese boule bread.

It's a lot of cheese.

But Johndrow was caught in the moment.

Or the day.

''We are a people who love to eat , and we love to eat different, good food,'' Johndrow said. "So why not try something like this. Today, everyone is a gourmet and we all love to try something different. I had to put this one on the menu as the Tuesday special.''

Of course, he'll make a traditional grilled cheese for anyone who wants one, too.

''It's good, old comfort food,'' he said. ''It reminds you of your mother and her making a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.''

Wikipedia indicates that cooked bread and cheese is an ancient dish, but it has matured over the years. It says the modern version of the sandwich developed in the 1920s, when inexpensive cheese and sliced bread became easy to obtain. It says cheese sandwiches were popular during the Great Depression.

The grilled cheese was originality served open-faced, but the top slice of bread became common by the 1960s, Wikipedia says.

U.S. government cookbooks describe Navy cooks making "American cheese filling sandwiches'' during World War II, Wikipedia says.

''And we love to add things to the cheeses,'' Johndrow said.

Thus, grilled cheeses can be found in various forms in eateries around north central Connecticut.

The offers up the traditional grilled cheese, but also kicks in variations like tuna, bacon, tomato and ham.

An informal Facebook poll on grilled cheese prompted Jill Rancourt, an Ellington native who currently attends the University of New England in Maine, to say anything makes with cheese is ''epic.'' Shady Glen has a way of frying its cheese so that is crispy outside the bread but soft inside.

in Tolland serves a popular gourmet grilled cheese on homemade bread with Vermont cheddar cheese, while Jake's Wayback Burgers in East Windsor navigates a more traditional course.

College students generally love grilled cheese and that's what makes in Storrs quite popular. 

Handcuffed over what type of grilled cheese to have in Enfield? Then head over to , where owner Joe Ravalese, a retired Enfield police officer, will cook one up to order.

An informal Facebook poll reveals the variety of fromage that people prefer in their grilled cheeses.

Here's a sampling:

• American
• Cheddar
• Swiss
• Pepper Jack
• Provolone
• Gruyere
• Fromunda
• Muenster
• Monterey Jack 

Martin Griff, a veteran snow sports columnist for NJ.com, has written about food across the world on his skiing treks. He said the topic of cheese brings him back home to south Jersey and, of course, Philadelphia.

"In Philly, it's Cheez Whiz,'' Griff said in the Facebook poll. ''If it's good enough for cheese steaks, it's good enough for grilled cheeses.''

''Grilled cheese is a happy food. It makes us happy to eat it,'' Jondrow said.