Want.

… Shane exclaimed one warm August day, as he agreed to consume not one, but two massive Perry’s Deli sammies. One of which had to be a triple-decker, the other a standard, which is by no means “standard.” The images alone are enough to make a normal mouth water with desire and quiver with fear. But Shane … Shane knows no fear and equipped with his C+ or possibly B- game, he agreed that today would be the day to take on this monstrosity.

For the challenge Shane selected “The K.O. Club” (which I highly recommended against … I mean c’mon, the name says it all) and “Roast Beef.” (Choose your poison at http://www.perrysdeli.com/menu.html) Roughly 10 minutes in he had already punished half of the triple-decker and I thought to myself “if eating was a sport … oh wait, it is. Never mind.” Equipped with a bag of chips for crunch and Nalgene jug of water to lube, Shane-O continued to horse pound his way though the sanguidos. Other than the occasional complain regarding the fillingness of the rye or the cotton like effect of the turkey, he barreled through without a doubt he would succeed. Then came the dreaded minute 34, when he realized he was only slightly over half way through his mound of food and he began to slow, like the rest of us after half of a corned beef sandwich.

As we began to realize the pit wasn’t bottomless and the mighty Shane had struck out, I had one final question: half marathon or 2 Perry’s sandwiches? And without hesitation, Shane said, “I’d rather run the half marathon.”

No surprise here, but the fanciest ingredients don’t necessarily make a dish the best. Sometimes, it’s the elementary foods that make the most memorable impression, and I’m talking straight elementary. Literally. The Grilled Cheese Grill in Portland, OR is one of those places that does it right and SIMPLE. As their name implies, they serve grilled cheese just like mom* used to make.

Located on a street corner in the King neighborhood, you’d think that you just happened upon a junk yard. There’s an old school bus on the lot, a trailer, and some dirt & gravel. NOPE! That colorful school bus is their dining room. Inside you’ll find a diner setup, tables on one side and a bar on the other. The tables are littered with old school pics from way back when (creepy). Think milk carton children shrine.

GCG’s cute menu starts with the ‘Kindergartner,’ a classic grill – american or cheddar on white or wheat, and for the sophisticated, grown-up kid, the ‘Gabby’ offers a cheddar, colby, jack, and mozz on white.

Just like in school, the guys in the kitchen get on the horn when your order is ready and summon you down to their ‘office.’ The only difference is when you get there, instead of detention, you’re greeted with a tasty treat. I opted for the ‘Morton,’ meatball marinara, ricotta and mozzarella on grilled Italian sourdough. So delicious. It was the perfect amount of saucy, meaty and cheesy. The idea of seconds was immediately on my mind. I couldn’t have been more satisfied, especially with the massive hangover that I was fighting off that morning. And in the words of the Cars, “you’re just what I needed.” If I recall correctly, those were the exact words I whispered to my sandwich.

Big high-fives to the Kenyons for sharing the delicious adventure with Matt and me! And for you Portlanders or anyone visiting, the GCG is open until 2:30 am on Fridays & Saturdays, making it a perfect drunken eats spot. EAT IT!

*’Mom’ in this instance implies that your mother was All-American and served you grilled cheese. In some cases of ethnicity, mothers may have served grilled cheese with rice or an alternative side dish or no grilled cheese at all. NOOOOOOO!

Yes, I now use this on EVERYTHING. Do yourself a favor and order some.

…just kidding, I’ve been hard at work just not here obviously. Mad props to Denise for keeping this thing going while I’m away. My buddy Andrew sent me this great article for you New Yorkers. It’s got “Shane Eats” written all over and under and through that bitch. Check out, “Say When with Max Silvestri”. For those of you in Chicago asking yourselves, “Hey Shane, where can I get Korean chicken like that?” refer to my previous post, “Get Ready For Heaven.”

EAT IT!