THE BIG CHEESY 2011

Even with 1.6 million people in Manhattan, there’s rarely a grilled cheese party. The comfort food that gained popularity during the Great Depression doesn’t do well as a restaurant’s main dish either. Ludlow Street’s Grilled Cheese NYC closed down in ’06 after six years of fair to moderate success. Make a grilled cheese the main attraction at a pop up, though, and you’re likely to pack the house.

In March, Openhouse created The Big Cheesy, a two-day Soho pop up that featured seven chefs from across the city. Over one weekend, they griddled and pan-fried sandwiches for more then 500 New York foodies who voted for their favorites with cheddar-colored ping pong balls. Participating restaurants and food trucks included:
Alice’s Tea Cup from the Upper East Side; Artisanal in Murray Hill; Barnyard Cheese Shop from the East Village; Big Daddy’s Diner in the Flatiron District; Bua on St. Mark’s; The Milk Truck from Fort Greene; and Todd English’s Plaza Food Hall from beneath the Plaza Hotel.