If you like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, this might be the perfect place for you to give your diet two middle fingers and a swift kick in the keister. Choose a sandwich from the menu, or create your own from their selection of breads and cheeses. Then, add whatever toppings you'd like. Go crazy. Add bacon. Add mac & cheese. Add potato chips. Heck, make your sandwich a double-decker by adding a second layer. But nothing says A-MER-I-CA quite like a doughnut sandwich. Choose a fancy grilled cheese doughnut like The King (banana, peanut butter mascarpone, mozarella) or the Choco Bacon Bliss (bacon, chocolate pieces, chocolate mascarpone, mozzarella), or simply go with cheddar on a doughnut. I'm not sure how I feel about that last one, but Mr. Cheddar Doughnut, I will say this: "You're not what I'm used to Just wanna try you on I'm curious for you Caught my attention" (Just not enough for me to try you today.) -The Experience- TOM+CHEE planned to open Friday, March 6, 2015. However, when I saw on Facebook that they had opened a day early, I completely reorganized my day and headed to O'Fallon. Can you guess which colors the restaurant uses for its interior? "Yeah, uh-huh. You know what it is. [Red] and yellow, [red] and yellow, [red] and yellow, [red] and yellow." A friendly employee at the counter will take your order. You'll display your number in the stand at the table of your choice, and your food will be brought out to you within minutes. I ordered a small drink, a cup of creamy tomato basil soup, and the Pesto+Turkey sandwich (subbed wheat berry bread and added bacon) for a grand total of $13.44. The soup wasn't very flavorful. However, it was nice as a companion for my sandwich. I should have just ordered the "soup dipper," a smaller serving intended for, well, dipping. My sandwich, on the other hand, was quite good. The Pesto+Turkey is roasted turkey, pesto, and mozzarella on white bread. I substituted wheat berry because I'm not a huge fan of white and added bacon because . . . bacon. The turkey was like Thanksgiving turkey. Delicious. I would have preferred slices of crispy bacon rather than diced bacon, but any bacon is better than no bacon at all. The sandwich had great flavor, but I will admit the pesto made it slightly soggy. My dining companion had a small drink, a small salad, and a Pep+Chee (pepperoni, tomato sauce, and mozzarella) for around $12. The Pep+Chee is served on white, but she substituted pumpernickel rye. (I guess we're complicated people who are picky about our breads.) I sampled the Pep+Chee and enjoyed it, but I liked mine better because . . . bacon. :) I was so full by the time I finished my meal, but since this location is really out of the way for me, I figured I wouldn't be back for a while. I decided to go big before going home. So, we split a fancy grilled cheese doughnut for dessert. We ordered the S'more. It was not cheap (around $6), but it was kind of amazing. Actually, it was really effing amazing. Just look at my picture. The doughnut is sliced in half, and the sandwich is made with the cut surface facing outward. It contains melted chocolate, marshmallow mascarpone, and just the right amount of graham cracker. Mmm. I can't afford, nutritionally or financially, to order that all the time, but it was a nice treat. -Healthy Options- Okay, okay. The menu isn't completely unhealthy. If you have medical or dietary concerns, TOM+CHEE has some choices for you: salads, vegetarian options, gluten-free bread, and vegan cheese. But, um, bacon is really good. -Rating- I first heard about TOM+CHEE when I saw them on Shark Tank in 2013. When my sandwich was served today, I had a Phil Collins moment: "I've been waiting for this moment for all my life. Oh, Lord." Well, maybe not /all/ my life. It has been more like 2 years, but it certainly has felt like an eternity. Apart from the soup, I'd say it was definitely worth the wait. I'd like to see a location closer to me, and a Mexican- or Southwest-inspired grilled cheese would be a nice addition to the menu. However, with friendly employees and quality food, TOM+CHEE has a new fan. Hey, did I mention that I like bacon?
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : No
Kitty W.
If you like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, this might be the perfect place for you to give your diet two middle fingers and a swift kick in the keister. Choose a sandwich from the menu, or create your own from their selection of breads and cheeses. Then, add whatever toppings you'd like. Go crazy. Add bacon. Add mac & cheese. Add potato chips. Heck, make your sandwich a double-decker by adding a second layer. But nothing says A-MER-I-CA quite like a doughnut sandwich. Choose a fancy grilled cheese doughnut like The King (banana, peanut butter mascarpone, mozarella) or the Choco Bacon Bliss (bacon, chocolate pieces, chocolate mascarpone, mozzarella), or simply go with cheddar on a doughnut. I'm not sure how I feel about that last one, but Mr. Cheddar Doughnut, I will say this: "You're not what I'm used to Just wanna try you on I'm curious for you Caught my attention" (Just not enough for me to try you today.) -The Experience- TOM+CHEE planned to open Friday, March 6, 2015. However, when I saw on Facebook that they had opened a day early, I completely reorganized my day and headed to O'Fallon. Can you guess which colors the restaurant uses for its interior? "Yeah, uh-huh. You know what it is. [Red] and yellow, [red] and yellow, [red] and yellow, [red] and yellow." A friendly employee at the counter will take your order. You'll display your number in the stand at the table of your choice, and your food will be brought out to you within minutes. I ordered a small drink, a cup of creamy tomato basil soup, and the Pesto+Turkey sandwich (subbed wheat berry bread and added bacon) for a grand total of $13.44. The soup wasn't very flavorful. However, it was nice as a companion for my sandwich. I should have just ordered the "soup dipper," a smaller serving intended for, well, dipping. My sandwich, on the other hand, was quite good. The Pesto+Turkey is roasted turkey, pesto, and mozzarella on white bread. I substituted wheat berry because I'm not a huge fan of white and added bacon because . . . bacon. The turkey was like Thanksgiving turkey. Delicious. I would have preferred slices of crispy bacon rather than diced bacon, but any bacon is better than no bacon at all. The sandwich had great flavor, but I will admit the pesto made it slightly soggy. My dining companion had a small drink, a small salad, and a Pep+Chee (pepperoni, tomato sauce, and mozzarella) for around $12. The Pep+Chee is served on white, but she substituted pumpernickel rye. (I guess we're complicated people who are picky about our breads.) I sampled the Pep+Chee and enjoyed it, but I liked mine better because . . . bacon. :) I was so full by the time I finished my meal, but since this location is really out of the way for me, I figured I wouldn't be back for a while. I decided to go big before going home. So, we split a fancy grilled cheese doughnut for dessert. We ordered the S'more. It was not cheap (around $6), but it was kind of amazing. Actually, it was really effing amazing. Just look at my picture. The doughnut is sliced in half, and the sandwich is made with the cut surface facing outward. It contains melted chocolate, marshmallow mascarpone, and just the right amount of graham cracker. Mmm. I can't afford, nutritionally or financially, to order that all the time, but it was a nice treat. -Healthy Options- Okay, okay. The menu isn't completely unhealthy. If you have medical or dietary concerns, TOM+CHEE has some choices for you: salads, vegetarian options, gluten-free bread, and vegan cheese. But, um, bacon is really good. -Rating- I first heard about TOM+CHEE when I saw them on Shark Tank in 2013. When my sandwich was served today, I had a Phil Collins moment: "I've been waiting for this moment for all my life. Oh, Lord." Well, maybe not /all/ my life. It has been more like 2 years, but it certainly has felt like an eternity. Apart from the soup, I'd say it was definitely worth the wait. I'd like to see a location closer to me, and a Mexican- or Southwest-inspired grilled cheese would be a nice addition to the menu. However, with friendly employees and quality food, TOM+CHEE has a new fan. Hey, did I mention that I like bacon?
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