Instead of posting each individual item I stumble on only on Facebook, I will be posting roundups right here that highlight that day (or weeks) interesting grilled cheese web finds. I hope for this to be a regular feature, as long as I have the content. If you find anything grilled cheese related that you would like to share, either post it on the Facebook page or email me at grilledcheese [at] grilledshane.com. Thanks! Long live the grilled cheese!

The Art of Wisconsin Cheese

(courtesy wisconsincheesetalk.com)

If only I could take photos of grilled cheese as well as this gentleman takes pictures of cheese. Mmmmm. Maybe I just need a professional studio of my own. Anyone willing to donate to make that happen?

Making Grilled Cheese On the Grill with Sam Talbot

(courtesy kitchendaily)

Not only does the Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich sound/look delicious, but I give Mr. Talbot a lot of credit for actually making a grilled cheese on a grill (and not burning it). I tried that once and unfortunately, my sandwich ended up on the black (aka burnt) side and the sous chef needed to do some scraping. Maybe I should try it again and follow exactly what Sam does. Have you actually grilled a grilled cheese sandwich before? Did you have better luck than me?

Google Just Bought Zagat, Making It the New King of Restaurant Ratings

(courtesy gizmodo and google blog)

For anyone that follows restaurants, technology or both (that’s me), this is huge news. As of late, it seems like Google is spending a lot of money on acquisitions, with this one up there near the top. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if Yelp! adapts or changes at all. When searching for a new restaurant, do online customer reviews influence your decision?

Courtesy Google:

With Zagat, we gain a world-class team that has more experience in consumer based-surveys, recommendations and reviews than anyone else in the industry. Founded by Tim and Nina Zagat more than 32 years ago, Zagat has established a trusted and well-loved brand the world over, operating in 13 categories and more than 100 cities. The Zagats have demonstrated their ability to innovate and to do so with tremendous insight. Their surveys may be one of the earliest forms of UGC (user-generated content)-gathering restaurant recommendations from friends, computing and distributing ratings before the Internet as we know it today even existed.

Bloggers Don’t Follow the Script, to ConAgra’s Chagrin

(courtesy NYTimes.com)

In August, food bloggers and mom bloggers in New York were invited to dine at an underground restaurant in a West Village brownstone run, apparently, by George Duran, the chef who hosts the “Ultimate Cake Off” on TLC. … The surprise: rather than being prepared by the chef, the lasagna they were served was Three Meat and Four Cheese Lasagna by Marie Callender’s, a frozen line from ConAgra Foods. Hidden cameras at the dinners, which were orchestrated by the Ketchum public relations unit of the Omnicom Group, captured reactions to the lasagna and to the dessert, Razzleberry Pie, also from Marie Callender’s. … “Our entire meal was a SHAM!” wrote Suzanne Chan, founder of Mom Confessionals, in a blog post after the event. “We were unwilling participants in a bait-and-switch for Marie Callender’s new frozen three cheese lasagna and there were cameras watching our reactions.”

I recommend reading the entire article to understand exactly what happened, which was somewhat bizarre. As a food blogger myself, I would feel pretty duped, especially since I am trying to watch how much processed foods I am personally eating. Bait-and-switch definitely applies to this situation and is simply another black eye for ConAgra foods.

Berkeley BINGO Behind the Cart Brunch!

Put on by The GrilledCheezGuy, this event sounds pretty cool and definitely unique.

Behind the Cart is a spin on VH1 Behind the Music.  The goal of the event is to host a mobile underground restaurant that serves a multiple course meal that will always end with some stories.   As a local popular food cart vendor something I realized early on is that people are interested in the stories behind the carts.  We all want to know how the GrilledCheezGuy came to be or what inspired the Creme Brulee cart to hit the streets.  This event provides the opportunity to enjoy some of the local food carts best dishes while also sharing stories at the end of the dinner. This brunch is not your average brunch.  This brunch is continental breakfast meets bingo hall meets food cart bonanza!  Prepare for a very fun and social Berkeley brunch with the following menu (NOTE: Order of food will be decided by the BINGO balls!)

Learn more about The GrilledCheezGuy in a brand new interview over at Food Mafia. There, he explains much more about Behind the Cart and the new Berkeley event. Definitely worth a read.

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Recipes! Cowgirl Creamery Organic Mt. Tam…Yes, It’s True: Ben & Jerry’s Introduces ‘Schweddy Balls’ Ice Cream Flavor…People Only Care About Your Twitter and Facebook Links for a Few Hours