Advance Notice. The Grilled Cheese Invitational.

It's back! Celebrate Grilled Cheese Month this April with the ever-indulgent and ever-wonderful 2nd 8th (??) Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational happening April 23rd.

Gorge on that perfection which is known as the grilled cheese, in all kinds of versions, nicely split up into four categories: the classic Love, American Style; the any bread-butter-cheese Missionary; the anything goes Kama Sutra, and the all-dessert Honey Pot. And in between those sumptuous cheesy bites, check out costume contests, cheese-calling competitions and other shenanigans. And just like last year, you can even sign up to be a judge (just $5 more on the admission price).

Set the date now: Tickets are only $12 ($15 at the door), which includes free samples from the sponsors. Happy cheesin'!

The Grilled Cheese Invitational is occurring April 23rd on April 23rd at the at Los Angeles Center Studios, located at 1201 W. Fifth St. in downtown.

-- Chau Tu

Eat In. The perfect grilled cheese.

The perfect grilled cheese is a thing of beauty. Simple and delicious, yet not as easy to whip up as you might imagine. Fresh bread makes this lovely sandwich taste good, but the fresher the bread, the harder to get the cheese to melt without the bread burning.

Start with two slices of bread (whole wheat or sourdough are my favorites), a little bit of cold regular butter (salted or unsalted both ok), and three slices of pre-sliced Tillamook cheddar (medium or sharp).

Turn the stove to low-medium heat.

Stick a few small chunks of butter on the outside areas of the bread, and some more on the inside. Spread the cheese evenly (with overlap in the center), close up the sandwich, and place it in the hot pan. Change the setting to 'low'.

Leave one side grilling for a minute or two, checking the bottom for darkness. Flip it when it looks toasty-brown. Let the other side get to the same level. Press down on the sandwich lightly but firmly with a spatula as each side grills. Some cheese may come melting out the side, this is a good sign that it's almost ready. With a large spatula, I like to flip the sandwich back and forth a couple more times, to ensure fully melted cheese, and that it's hot on both sides.

Slice diagonally, and enjoy.

A grilled cheese goes so well with most drinks imaginable--from milk, to lemonade, to red wine, to apple martinis!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: gothamist.com

Advance Notice. Grilled Cheese Invitational.

I don't know how this whole every-day-is-a-food-holiday thing got started, but one thing I can definitely stand behind is Grilled Cheese Month, which by the way, is right now. How to celebrate, you ask? (Other than diving into that gooey concoction every chance you get, of course.)

The Grilled Cheese Invitational is calling your name. Yes, this is an entire festival and day devoted to the one and only sandwich, and it is set to be filled with competitions for grilling, cheese yelling (??) and cheesy costumes, along with surely endless amounts of grilled cheese samples and overall cheesy goodness.

There's really no need to say more, but here are a few extra details. The event will be taking place on April 24th at the Los Angeles Center Studios in downtown from 12pm-6pm. One can apply to be a grilled cheese judge (is there a better job in the world? There's not even an age limit!) by filling out the info here, or on the other hand, one can register to compete (amateurs and professionals welcome) by clicking here. For everyone else, the $10 tickets for the entire event can be purchased online now, and understandably, this will sell out. Don't be the odd cheese out!

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Grilled Cheese Invitational

Eat Out. The Grilled Cheese Truck.

Reason #2787538 I love living on my block of Sunset:

I walked across the street to Walgreen's to pick up a few travel essentials tonight (because I'm leaving for a week in Massachusetts tomorrow!!!) and on my way back, I was starting to feel hungry. I cleaned out my fridge earlier (we all know how old food freaks me out) and, in my mad dash to pack, I sort of forgot to feed myself dinner. So I was bummed because I had just left the store and--for once--I didn't really feel like getting a slice of pizza at Two Boots. But then, lo and behold, parked not twenty feet from my door was LA's newest food truck, The Grilled Cheese Truck.

OK. Amazing. I got the Harvest Melt, which has Gruyere, butternut squash, leeks, balsamic, a bit of agave syrup for sweetness, and thyme. And I got it for $5. What an unexpected, convenient, cheap, and toasty/melty delight! A Festivus miracle, really.

But that isn't the half of it. Curbside, this place dishes up bbq pork, mac and cheese, a grilled desert sandwich with banana, Nutella, and marshmallow, and, last but not least, grilled cheese's trusty sidekick--tomato soup.

Brilliant!

The truck began making its rounds in late October when a couple of grilled cheese enthusiasts preparing for LA's Grilled Cheese Invitational (isn't this town rad?!) decided to take the show on the road.

Like every food truck in LA, you can follow this guy on Twitter and Facebook.

-- Heather Robertson