It's all about that grilled cheese sandwich

It's all about that grilled cheese sandwich

Dairy industry gets a boost from ‘extreme’ Idaho restaurant

By Matthew Weaver Capital Press (Salem, Ore.) March 12, 2020

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — This is a cheesy story.

This is a really cheesy story.

An extremely cheesy story.

Meltz, a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, makes what it calls “extreme” toasted cheese sandwiches.

And a lot of them. The restaurant gets an average of 200 customers a day, according to manager Nick Hart. They buy 800 to 900 sandwiches each week in the winter and 2,000 a week during the summer tourist season.

These are not your mother’s toasted cheese sandwiches. What makes Meltz different is the creativity that goes into them. According to Hart and Meltz supervisor Mari Gilge, there isn’t much they haven’t tried.

Hart says 17 types of cheese are always on the menu. Occasionally, the restaurant might add a specialty cheese, such as a horseradish or spicy cheese, or a smoked cheese. Each sandwich uses about a half-pound of cheese, Hart said.

In addition to the cheese, ingredients can range from the sublime to the exotic. Spaghetti, ice cream, shellfish, sushi, beef Wellington — you name it, and they’ve probably already experimented with it.

That versatility has generated a loyal following, Hart said.

“Anybody, anywhere, no matter what you’re doing, if you say you work at Meltz, they care,” he said. “They all give you the same reaction, too: ‘I love that place. Oh my God, I love that place.’”

That popularity adds up to a lot of cheese — and a lot of milk used to make it. Meltz illustrates the outsized impact even a single small restaurant in northern Idaho can have on dairy farmers.

Let’s do the numbers.

Meltz sells an average of 1,500 sandwiches each week, or about 250 a day (it’s closed on Sundays). That’s 125 pounds of cheese that the diners at Meltz go through each day.

It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese, said Jenn Nelson, senior vice president of innovation partnerships for Dairy West, an organization that represents dairy farmers in Idaho and Utah. One cow produces an average of 80 pounds of milk a day.

That means Meltz alone keeps the equivalent of 15.6 dairy cows busy each day just to produce the cheese that goes into its toasted cheese sandwiches.

Big business

But there’s more to this cheesy story. Grilled cheese sandwiches are a big business in the U.S.

Some 180 million grilled cheese sandwiches were ordered at U.S. restaurants last year, according to the NPD Group, a market research company in Port Washington, N.Y. That was up 5% from the previous year.

And that is just part of Americans’ love affair with cheese. According to the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Foodservice Cheese Assessment and Outlook study, U.S. restaurants and other food service facilities such as school and corporate cafeterias served 5.46 billion pounds of cheese in 2018.

Also from the study:

• Hamburger restaurants alone accounted for 12% of that total, or 635 million pounds.

• Sandwich restaurants — think Meltz — used 8% of the total, or 424 million pounds.

• The top varieties of cheese used at sandwich restaurants, based on volume, are provolone, cream cheese, pepper cheeses, American and Monterey jack. That’s in addition to a galaxy of other cheeses that are served, from muenster and gouda to asiago, fresh mozzarella, feta and gorgonzola.

‘Extreme’ ingredients

To the untrained eye, Meltz might seem unassuming. It is tucked into the corner of a gas station in Coeur d’Alene and seats 35 customers.

But it’s netted plenty of accolades from foodie websites, magazines and newspapers.

Recently, the website Yelp and Eat This, Not That magazine ranked Meltz the top grilled cheese sandwich shop in Idaho. So did People magazine in 2019 and Yelp and Buzzfeed in 2018.

The newspaper USA Today rated Meltz one of the Top 10 best grilled cheese sandwiches, and Thrillist magazine called it one of the 33 top sandwiches in the country in 2019.

“Extreme” usually means at least seven components, said owner Joe McCarthy.

“It’s usually got to be something that has a starch to it — a potato, rice, pasta — something you wouldn’t think would be in there,” he said. “We’re re-creating meals, sometimes, within a sandwich. Then it has to have a crunch, some heat or some spice level to it.”

In coming up with a new sandwich, the grilled cheese artisans at Meltz first think of a dish and what goes into it.

“It’s everything you can imagine between two slices of bread,” Hart, the manager, said. “The idea is to have a little piece of every single ingredient in every single bite.”

The beginning

McCarthy got his start traveling for 11 years as a chef at several auto racing series, which included cooking for racing team members and catering for VIP events.

He was on the road 16 to 20 weeks of the year, and looking for something that would keep him closer to home.

He saw a TV special about the Original Grilled Cheese Truck in Los Angeles, one of the first to offer grilled cheese as a concept, and thought there might be interest in the idea at home in Idaho.

“Grilled cheese is certainly relatable and it appeals to most people — it’s cheese and bread,” 

McCarthy said.

Meltz opened in April 2012.

“For the first seven months, there was a line out the door,” McCarthy said.

But it took 17 months to tweak the process and break even, considering the startup costs, ingredients, labor and equipment.

McCarthy bought out his partner in the first year.

It’s been growth ever since, he said.

A lot of chefs can create a great grilled cheese sandwich in a restaurant — once, McCarthy said. But making it consistently every day, with many different flavor profiles and ingredients, requires a “very solid system” or else customers are waiting too long, he said.

Meltz has perfected the steps of applying ahead of time a “schmear” containing 14 ingredients to the bread so it’s ready for the grill, he said.

“Grilled cheese certainly isn’t easy, although everybody would think that it is, but it’s not, by a long shot,” McCarthy said.

Grilled cheese game

McCarthy said he’s seen a lot of grilled cheese restaurants come and go in the eight years since Meltz opened.

“I think most of them close because they’re not extreme enough,” he said.

Some go too simple, with ingredients that customers could use at home.

Meltz goes for complex recipes, McCarthy said.

Other grilled cheese companies go too big, open up to 10 stores, and then have to scale back or vanish, he said.

“There’s a lot of people in my business that would like to be the McDonald’s, Five Guys or In-N-Out, so to speak, of grilled cheese and build them across the country,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy has tried to expand a few times, but it hasn’t worked out. He’s open to working with the right partner, he said.

The restaurant goes “way beyond” his original vision, he said, noting it grossed nearly $1 million last year.

“It’s exceeded everything I ever thought I could do in 1,200 square feet,” he said.

Local ingredients

Meltz primarily relies on suppliers such as Sysco or U.S. Foods.

“We do go local as much as possible,” Hart said. “Our beef is from Southern Idaho, our pulled pork from Idaho, all of our produce is from Washington.”

That is music to Stephanie Littrel’s ears.

“Local is a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon,” the Deer Park, Wash., dairy farmer said. “Knowing that a restaurant uses local ingredients makes us want to try their food even more, knowing that it is produced close to home.”

Nelson, with Dairy West, said the organization is working with Meltz to locally source more of its dairy ingredients.

Farmers love any chance to have their product directly affect their local communities, she said.

“Aside from getting to do what we love, the best part of being a dairy farmer is to see consumers enjoying the cheese and other delicious dairy products made from milk produced on dairies like ours,” Littrel said.

“When they see their cheese or products in some of their local restaurants or quick-serve restaurants, even Starbucks or McDonald’s using some of those dairy ingredients, it means a whole lot to them knowing they’re nourishing their local communities,” Nelson said.

Any time a local ingredient is available, McCarthy said he is open to using it or forging new relationships with farmers.

Featured items might include a special ingredient, such as Washington apples, Walla Walla sweet onions, goat, lamb, specialty potatoes or seasonings from local companies, he said.

McCarthy emphasized the importance of consistent ingredients.

“It’s very important that I’m not the guy that runs out of stuff,” he said.

Last December, when Meltz had difficulty obtaining an ingredient for its annual post-Thanksgiving sandwich, the Turducken — a combination of turkey, duck and chicken — the restaurant delayed its release.

“We refuse to serve our food if it’s not perfect,” the restaurant said in its announcement on Facebook.

Hart welcomes the opportunity to visit farms, and extended a similar invitation for farmers to stop by the restaurant.

They should “feel free to stop by and see their food in action,” he said.

#

Beaverton Sub Station sandwich shop (3/13/2020)

Remembering our grandfather, who died in 1918 of the Spanish influenza

Remembering our grandfather, who died in 1918 of the Spanish influenza


By Tim Marsh


My sister and I knew only one grandparent. 


Born in 1879, our paternal grandmother died in Newberg (Yamhill County), Oregon, at age 94 in 1973 when I was 25 years old and my sister was 28.


Our maternal grandparents, U.S. immigrants from Sweden, died in the late 1930s (he) and early 1940s (she), before my sister and I were born in 1944 and 1948, respectively. 


Our paternal grandfather, John Joseph Marsh (photo), an immigrant from Ireland and husband of the grandmother we knew, died of the Spanish influenza in 1918 at age 49 in Bellingham (Whatcom County), Washington. Bellingham is about 90 miles north of Seattle.


On June 3, 1918, the Bellingham Herald reporting on his death said, "John J. Marsh (was) one of Bellingham's most genial citizens and for nearly twenty-five years employed in the fire department of this city, half of that time as its chief..."


That was when fire engines were horse drawn.


Although we did not know our Irish Catholic grandfather John, he’s never far from our minds.


My sister’s first name is Mayo, for County Mayo in Ireland where our grandfather was born and where he and other family members lived before coming to America. My middle name, John, honors him.


According to HistoryLink.com, on October 3, 1918, the worldwide Spanish influenza epidemic arrived in Seattle. It was part of the influenza pandemic which engulfed the world. Grandfather John died June 1, 1918, of that influenza. 


A story in a March 2020 edition of the Wall Street Journal said, “President Woodrow Wilson was so focused on winning World War I that he would not listen to repeated warnings about the pandemic from the chiefs of the Army and Navy, and even from his own personal physician. The U.S. ended up losing 675,000 lives to influenza, compared with 53,000 killed in combat in World War I.”


That brings us to today. My sister and I are among those reading about coronavirus and its impact on the world. We never thought there would be anything to seemingly rival what killed our grandfather and so many others.


This is a worrisome time. We pray research will result in stopping the coronavirus calamity. 


Writer Tim Marsh (Timothy John Marsh) lives in McMinnville, Oregon. His grandparents are buried at Bay View Cemetery, Bellingham, Wash. 

John Joseph Marsh photo (profile)

NATO Phonetic Alphabet

In The Dalles, Ore.: Historical remnant of third longest newspaper strike in U.S.

From the Feb. 13, 2020, issue of “Connecting” newsletter of Associated Press/AP retirees. What’s below is a slightly edited version of what’s in “Connecting.” 


Reminder of a bitter newspaper strike in Oregon

These photos were taken Feb. 5, 2020, by Connecting contributor Tim Marsh. 

They show a sign painted on an outside wall of a building at 207 W. 3rd St. -- currently vacant and for lease -- in downtown The Dalles, Ore., some 85 miles east of Portland, the state's largest city. The sign is a historical remnant of what the Oregon Encyclopedia says was the "third longest newspaper strike in the United States."

The strike, from Nov. 10, 1959, to Oct. 1, 1964, involved three Portland dailies, the Oregonian, Oregon Journal and Portland Reporter.

Read about the strike by clicking here (link below)

https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/portland_reporter_the/#.XkY4z-TsbAZ


Source: Feb. 13, 2020, issue of "Connecting" (link below)


http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1116239949582&ca=a5065bb2-7af6-40c9-8875-3a603aca413a


:::::

On Feb. 15, 2020, The Dalles Chronicle newspaper ran one of the photos and a cutline.

https://www.thedalleschronicle.com/gorge_life/history-page-for-feb/article_1f05520c-4f7e-11ea-8ea5-5f8a416079de.html

In cutline, Tim Marsh quoted as saying, "I'm particularly interested in what business was located in the building in the late 1950s and early 1960s." In response, Carolyn Wood, pcforman40@gmail.com, responded by email saying, "That was the location of the Union Hall in the 1950s and 1960s. My husband worked out of there."

A life’s story: The best obituaries share who the person really was, experts say

A life’s story: The best obituaries share who the person really was, experts say
Fri., Jan. 31, 2020  By Treva Lind  Spokane Spokesman-Review
...............
On the web

To read examples of obituraries that were either written by the deceased or highlight the person’s personality, search for:

Ken Fuson, 1956-2020 =

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/desmoinesregister/obituary.aspx?n=ken-fuson&pid=194969073

Jane Catherine Lotter, 1952-2013 =

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=jane-catherine-lotter&pid=166098479

Charles Juenemann, 1949-2018 =

https://dearpersonobits.com/samples/charles-juenemann-1949-2018/

.............................

To learn more about Dear Person obituary services, visit dearpersonobits.com

The obituary. It’s often the last words for people who aren’t famous. Obits can capture character and life’s pursuits, telling your story.

Some tributes go only with the basics. Name. Age. Birth. Death. Survivors. That also leaves record of someone’s life, said Rob Goff, Spokane-based director of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association.

“It’s really about what they want to share about their life,” Goff said.

In the industry 29 years, Goff said he thinks the best obituaries are ones self-written by individuals in making arrangements or by loved ones who go beyond a few facts.

“The obituaries that stand out to me are the ones where people really put thought into what they want to say and how,” he said. “They don’t go to the standards, just a next-of-kin listing. They go deeper and tell a story of the person’s life.

“It might just be one little sentence in the middle of that obituary, but that sentence makes it a human-interest story. Maybe it’s a little joke, but it’s that one thing that makes it an interesting obituary.”

Certain elements do bring an obituary to another level, said Jamie Passaro, a writer in Eugene. She operates the business Dear Person writing obituaries for clients or teaching obit-writing classes.

“I advise people at any age to write their own obituary,” Passaro said. “That’s because it’s not only an interesting, meaningful and even a fun exercise, but it’s a huge gift to your family or your loved ones not to have to take on this research and writing project while they’re grieving for you.

“If you have something prepared, even if you wrote it a few years ago, it’s a good starting point for a family. Who better to decide what those words should say than you?”

She asks individuals or families about a few specifics such as favorite memories or stories and even imperfections. There might be a go-to recipe, a movie line or a relative’s quote, she said.

It was more difficult to write an obituary for her mom compared with writing her own.

“It’s just a hard time to write something worthy of the person who has died because you might be in shock,” she said. “You have other details to take care of, getting a memorial service together.”

‘Expect some whimsy’

Passaro and Goff offered ideas to craft a written send-off.

“I think the best obits really reflect the person who has died, so if they were a very serious person, maybe you want to stick to the facts,” Passaro said. “If they were a whimsical, spontaneous person, I’m going to expect some whimsy.”

It’s a balance, Passaro added. She avoids a resume-like list of accomplishments but adds milestones. She tries to get a few details beyond adjectives.

Mom was a music lover, so did she always dance when she heard a tune? That gem helps describe her.

A key question is, “What are the things that people truly loved about her?” Passaro said.

“When I talk to clients after someone has died, I definitely get all the resume stuff, but I also ask, what did people love about her? I love to ask, ‘What were some of her inconsistencies?’ I think that is a fun way to get at people’s complexity.”

Passaro, 45, includes a contradiction in her obituary.

“For me, I’m a vegetarian, and I mostly eat health foods, but one of my favorite foods is a burrito from a burrito cart where it’s about the lard,” she said. “Those inconsistencies are telling, fun and relatable.

“I also love people’s pet peeves. Obviously, you balance that with their great loves and hobbies, where they liked to travel, pets and all that stuff.”

Life’s journey

Offering obituary advice, Goff said funeral professionals often say, “Tell us about your history.”

“Tell us who you are in essence, so we talk about life’s progressions,” Goff said. “We go into some of the achievements, memberships, hobbies and even personal notations.”

At home or in hospice care, relatives might ask open-ended questions and record answers to use later. Ask about life as a youth, favorite things and key events. The National Funeral Directors Association offers a card set titled “Have the Talk of a Lifetime.”

Each card is meant to expand conversations such as asking about a favorite book. Another asks what words of wisdom would you pass on to your childhood self?

Some people aren’t comfortable with such sentiments in a public obituary, or they’re concerned about costs for newspaper publication based on length, Goff said. But some description of life is better.

“More often than not, I see obituaries being very basic – the person’s name, age, they were born and they died, and here’s their family,” Goff said. “That tells story, too, but some obituaries you read really open up to tell you what their life was about and who they are.”

Passaro also recommends reflection on how you want to be remembered, or, for a spouse and relatives, what you remember most about the person.

“You’re trying to capture their essence,” she said. “You’re trying to distill it. Obits are not long, so you really don’t have a lot of words.”

Try to avoid boilerplate. “A lot of obits you read are boilerplate, standard. If people were witty and warm, that makes me sad because they just don’t come through.

“One thing I don’t like doing is just throwing in a bunch of adjectives. They have their place, but let’s not just say she was a great gardener. Let’s say she distributed zucchinis to all her neighbors every August.”

Length and legacy

Generally, Passaro tells people to write between 600 and 800 words. Also, more people are putting tributes only online where length doesn’t matter, she said.

“I definitely tell them to get in touch with the newspaper just to make sure they know what they’re in for,” Passaro added. “That might limit someone. It really varies depending on if it’s a small-town newspaper.”

She recommends people look for online tutorials and review obits they like. She also sells $4.99 e-books for obituary basics on her website.

A self-written obit can share wishes such as desires for a service. For Passaro, it’s a party with her favorite music, beer and burritos.

Writing a better obituary is worthwhile, she added. “Unless someone’s a public figure, this is really the last word.”

Goff reminds people an obituary is typically the only chance to put one’s life into writing.

“You have the opportunity to say this is what I want the world to know about me. This is the legacy I want the world to remember me for.”

He recalls a quote that when people stop talking about a deceased individual, then the person is truly gone. But in the future, if someone finds an obituary or headstone, stories can return.

“If you don’t have an obituary or you don’t write an obituary that tells your life story, there is not much of a trail that you existed – not much more than a birth and death certificate,” Goff said.

“An obituary is a written statement that you walked on this earth, where people can look back years from now and say this person lived. Their life is still remembered and celebrated.”