Welcome to part two of Kelly's Kitchen celebrates National Grilled Cheese Month! It's a look back at my trip to Melt in Cleveland. Which, since last year, has their new location open! When I head back home in July, I'll stop in and get the latest for you here in Kelly's Kitchen. In the meantime, enjoy!

   Did I mention I want to move in to Melt Bar and Grilled? Ann Kelly back, as promised with what put me in a pair of elastic waistband pants for the last half of my vacation in Cleveland – lunch! After a fascinating conversation with owner Matt Fish, one of Cleveland Magazine’s 2010 Most Interesting People it was time to wade through that delectable menu  and see if the buzz was indeed as delicious as promised. Yes it was, and that is due in great part to Melt’s local suppliers. Matt is especially proud of Melt’s commitment to getting the most they can from local suppliers. That includes eggs and cheese from the Amish community, their meats from a market in Lakewood, and as much local produce as they can find in season. Oh, and since Cleveland is blessed with the West Side Market, the oldest locally owned market in the city that has been a part of Cleveland history since 1840, Matt has an amazing variety of the best to choose from and he does, every day.

   I'm glad I had my friend Len along for the ride on this one. Let’s just say one enables the other, and that started with our Melt Quesadillas that was unlike any I ever had before. A tangy goat cheese filling, married with bacon and roasted garlic and a pleasant touch of fresh basil, grilled pepper and onions ($9.00). It was so hard to stop at just one slice, but since the main attraction was coming soon, I did. Let’s hear it for those environmentally correct go boxes! The minute I spotted the Gyro Melt ($11.00), I knew we were meant to be together – for about 15 minutes. Unbelievable. I thought since this gyro was in the grilled cheese mode, I’d miss the pita bread, but not in the least. Those thick slices of beautifully grilled bread did their best to hold the stack of slow roasted beef and lamb with tzatisiki sauce, fresh tomato and sweet onions together, but it was the feta and Muenster cheeses that complete the best gyro I’ve ever had. Love the side of sweet slaw, but both Len and I wish the fries would have been a little crisper. They did have a fantastically spicy taste, and that saved them. Len dove into the Smokey Russian that was a very tasty concoction of smoked turkey, fresh Napa vodka kraut, smoked Gouda and Russian dressing ($9.00). Not much left on his plate at the end! He liked the vodka sauce, but knowing Len, wanted more of that vodka taste. Hey, it was only lunch!

   What I really can’t believe is that we even considered dessert – but in the name of my fine food friends and fanatics that grace Kelly’s Kitchen, I took the plunge. The Melt dessert menu is limited, but our choice was over the top in taste. You may find a different bread pudding flavor on each visit, and ours was a Chocolate Chai Tea Bread Pudding. Well worth the wait; the pudding itself was steaming when our server Kelly brought it to our table in the back. I love having a great view of the room. Watching the other diners faces when sandwiches marched by, and the wide eyed stares that said "where's mine!" are what I consider the entertainment portion of our program! Melt is smart with their presentation; the luscious scoop of vanilla ice cream that topped the pudding was extremely cold, so it would melt slowly  and not make a soggy mess. That first bite was taste bud nirvana; just enough chocolate to please, and the nice chai edge was a wonderful complement. I can’t believe we almost ate the whole thing. Take a look on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Magic949 and click on Kelly's Kitchen, and tell me you're not hungry yourself!

   Melt Bar and Grilled and Matt Fish are on my go-to list for each visit now to Cleveland. And the next time will involve my nephew Shaun who wants to take the Melt Challenge. Here’s how Melt describes it: Our monster grilled cheese featuring 13 different cheeses, 3 slices of grilled bread and a pile of hand-cut fries & slaw.  Over 5 lbs. of food! Finish it all without any help or trips to the bathroom and you will be awarded a Melt t-shirt or Melt Pint Glass, a $10 gift card and we’ll immortalize you in our online Melt Challenge Hall of Fame. Check it out to see who has already defeated this sandwich. Come meet and possibly defeat the sandwich that lured The Travel Channel’s Man v. Food host Adam Richman to Cleveland. I have a feeling Shaun’s wife Jaime, and my brother John and sister in law Peggy will be along for the ride on that trip. Hello Christmas visit!

Can you tell that Matt has helped me fall back in love with the Cleveland area all over again? Matt told me that Clevelanders have always been his favorite people – it’s a real town, gritty and his home. In case you’re also wondering, yes, Matt has been approached for a reality show, but I got the distinct impression that his food comes first, the fame is a sidebar. Hear more from Matt, check out the menu and tell me what you enjoyed on your visit to Melt when you find yourself in the Cleveland area at www.meltbarandgrilled.com.

Save a seat in the back for me.

Words of Wisdom from Kelly’s Kitchen and Matt Fish:

“Have fun, be friendly, and work hard”