“That Is One of the Best Grilled Cheese I’ve Ever Had”
When Guy Fieri rolled into Cleveland, he discovered a spot that’s turned the humble grilled cheese into an art form. Melt Bar and Grill has built a devoted following with more than 30 different grilled cheese creations, and the locals weren’t shy about sharing their obsession. “You don’t hear of a place that just has grilled cheese,” Guy noted, before diving into what would become a truly Cleveland experience.
The Parmageddon: A Pierogi-Stuffed Masterpiece
Chef and owner Matt Fish has a simple philosophy: “I think we can stick anything inside of it and still consider it a grilled cheese sandwich.” That childhood love of grilled cheese led him to create the Parmageddon—a sandwich so tied to Cleveland identity that Guy had to ask why it earned that name. The answer? Parma, the first suburb south of Cleveland, is the Polish hotbed of the city, and pierogies are a main staple there.
The build starts with grilled bread in a sauté pan with vegetable oil. Fresh potato pierogies—stuffed with potatoes and hearty cheddar cheese—get browned on both sides until they develop that good caramelization. Grilled onions join the party, then things get interesting.
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The Vodka-Braised Cabbage That Pushes It Over the Top
Matt prepares a soft cabbage with his house-made kraut spice, then hits it with vodka and cider vinegar. “All we’re gonna do is just let this get happy happy happy,” he explained while the liquid reduced. Guy’s reaction? “You are crazy.” He then rattled off Cleveland’s culinary heavyweights—Michael Symon, Erica Muñocho, Heather at Lucky’s—and declared Matt belonged in that company.
Sharp cheddar goes on both sides of the bread—approximately four ounces of cheese on every sandwich. The pierogies lay down first, topped with all that caramelized goodness, then the whole thing hits what Matt calls “the multiplication machine” for three to five minutes until it achieves grilled cheese perfection.
Guy’s Verdict
The moment of truth delivered. “Out of bounds crunch on the bread, fantastic pierogi, great,” Guy said. “But the cabbage with the vodka and the cider—it’s over the top and around again.” He declared it one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches he’d ever had. When a customer tried it, she called it “the bomb, bursting with flavor” and added that pierogies were new to her, so having them in a sandwich was outstanding.
Guy also sampled the Big Popper—a sandwich that tastes like a jalapeño popper—along with the West Side Monte Cristo and the Hot Italian. Customers raved about everything from the Blackened Chicken to the Chorizo Potato, but it was Matt’s ambition that stuck with Guy: “My idea was to take a four to five star restaurant, that quality of food, and the medium is grilled cheese.”
Tips from the Melt Kitchen
Brown your pierogies properly: Get them golden on both sides before building the sandwich for that essential caramelization.
Let your braised cabbage reduce: All the liquid should be gone before it goes on the sandwich, concentrating those vodka and cider vinegar flavors.
Don’t skimp on cheese: Four ounces spread across both sides of bread creates the structural integrity and flavor this sandwich demands.
If Melt Bar and Grill proves anything, it’s that Cleveland knows how to take comfort food to another level—much like the No. 1 Cold Cut Combo Bánh Mì or a Cold Cut-Topped BURGER that Guy has encountered on his travels. Find more Triple D destinations in our restaurant directory.