Can't make this sandwich at home, and a Duluth eatery has it

Grilled cheese.

The Jello of all lunches and dinners, anyone can make it, and it’s almost impossible to screw up. Unless, of course, you burn it beyond recognition so that you can't tell it once was two slices of buttered bread with cheese in the middle.

But there is a grilled cheese that you can’t duplicate at home. I’m talking about the sandwich found at the Duluth restaurant of many names — At Sara’s Table, Chester Creek Cafe or, for longtime Duluthians, Taran’s Market Place.

So why include such a basic sandwich on a menu that offers tempeh, tofu and falafel? Chester Creek general manager Theresa Bobula says: “I think we put a different spin on it. … And we like to have something for everyone.”

It’s a cheese-lover’s dream.

Swiss, cheddar, provolone and Monterey Jack are layered on both slices of the wild rice rosemary bread, which comes straight from the ovens of Positively Third Street Bakery. If you like your grilled cheese in the literal sense — you know, grilled with cheese — you can stop there. But this sandwich comes with options. You can get it with tomato and bacon or tomato and hummus. I prefer the latter.

Bobula said the hummus is homemade by Chester Creek’s chefs. Fresh-boiled garbanzo beans mix with lemon, fresh parsley, garlic, cayenne pepper and tahini (a sesame seed paste), among a few other spices. In fact, you won’t find much that isn’t freshly made at Chester Creek Cafe.

“I always say we make everything from scratch except the ketchup,” Bobula said.

Maybe that’s why this grilled cheese tastes unlike anything I would slap together myself.

Nestled between the cheesy layers and the tomatoes, the hummus gives the sandwich an extra creaminess. Take a bite and some of it oozes out in pockets onto the plate. Perfect for dipping your French fries.

Wash your meal down with Chester Creek Cafe’s coffee. The restaurant typically has four types that can vary. On this day there was an organic decaf, an Estate Blend dark roast, a Mocha Java medium roast and the mild Southern Pecan, which is my personal favorite. Grab a cup and fill it yourself.

I’ve got to love a place where I can get my caffeine fix immediately and as often as I like. The cups of coffee here are bottomless.

Another perk of this eatery is that it’s a great place to take friends and family and show them a unique slice of Duluth. Get breakfast, lunch and dinner here. Prefer to drink your dessert? There’s an attached wine bar that’s open every day except Sunday. Adults only, please.

Chester Creek also is a good place to go if you’re dining alone. Bring your laptop and take advantage of free wireless, or grab a book. No reading material? Well, move over, Barnes and Noble, this place has its own library of new and used books, and all of them are for sale.

Still too lazy to get off the couch? Eventually, hunger will overpower apathy. And the neighborhood restaurant doesn’t seem too far from anywhere. Plus, it’s a lot more enjoyable than going to the grocery store.