Here in Kelly's Kitchen, we're celebrating National Grilled Cheese month with a look back at one insanely over the top place in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Take a trip with me to Melt!

  Eating is believing. That is what you’ll feel when you have what they call “The Melt Experience.” Ann Kelly, who thoroughly enjoyed meeting Matt Fish, the owner of Melt Bar and Grilled in Lakewood, Ohio last week while on vacation. Sure, it’s a bit of a commute, but I’m more than ready to make the trip again soon. I discovered Melt after seeing an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on The Food Network, and you’ve probably seen a legendary episode of “Man Vs Food” taking on the Melt Challenge. All my vacations should work out this well.

   I met Matt at the original Melt on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood (one other location is on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, with a third scheduled to open soon in Indepedence) that opened in 2006. He’s a fascinating guy that would be easy to stereotype with the shaved head and numerous ‘tats. But that’s not what makes him the entrepreneur he is. I figured I’d be lucky to get ten minutes out of his busy day, but when we were still talking after 45, his passion for his dream was so evident.  We started off with a question I’ve had since I first saw him on the Food Network – for someone that has his financial fortunes resting on what started as a simple grilled cheese sandwich – who made him that first grilled cheese? He was honest, with no real fascinating story to pass on. It was the fact it was a simple sandwich that was portable and quick. Loved them as a kid, and when he went on the road as a rock drummer, it was fast and cheap, and no one ever turned one down when he was making one! For a self-proclaimed workaholic, it was the way to go.

   But come on, how do you make a living off grilled cheese? You create what Matt calls the Melt Experience. It started for me on a Thursday morning standing on Detroit Avenue along with my high school buddy Len and a dozen other people waiting for that door to open at 11 am, then having every one of 130 seats filled within 20 minutes. Oh, and weekends are said to be a special kind of crazy with waiting time extending to 2-2 ½ hours. And fans gladly wait. A fun and funky interior, with lots of Cleveland memorabilia, and servers that aren’t carbon copies of each other. No franchise one size fits all outfits here; it’s whatever they want to wear. Matt considers them all family, like our server Kelly who’s been with Matt since before the beginning of Melt. Cool menus too, especially for those of us who still have vinyl in our collection. Each menu is the back of an album cover. I managed to score Stevie Nicks Bella Donna, and lucky Len had Bobby Vinton’s Drive In Movie Time Hits…so jealous!

   So what do you find on the menu of the place that “ESPN, The Magazine” just named one of the top ten Sports Bars in the Nation (Matt’s still trying to figure that out – it’s not a sports bar, but just trying finding a spare square of real estate during an Indians or Browns game!).Phenomenally tasty dishes made from scratch like the Westside Monte Cristo ($10.00) that the Huffington Post placed at #9 on their Endless Simmer list of America’s Top Ten Sandwiches with honey ham, smoked turkey, Swiss and American cheeses and mixed berry preserves; a calorie buster called Parmageddon with takes two potato and cheese pierogis, adds napa vodka kraut along with grilled onions and cheddar cheese (($10.00), and so many more, that include vegetarian and vegan options.  All the sandwiches on the menu the original offerings, with about ten more added.  What did I and Len tackle? Tell you more later in Kelly’s Kitchen.  And how to take The Melt Challenge, if you dare!

PS: I’m not going near a scale or Weight Watchers meeting for a LONG time!

Words of Wisdom from Kelly’s Kitchen and Matt Fish, on why he loves Cleveland and Cleveland sports fans are his favorite people:

“The summers are hot, the winters are cold, and the sports teams suck.”