A Sandwich a Day: Pimento Grilled Cheese at Little Market Brasserie

[Photograph: Amber Gibson]

The recently added pimento grilled cheese ($13.50) at Little Market Brasserie puts a Southern slant on the classic American sandwich. A thick layer of arugula adds a bitter bite to counter the richness of the pimento cheese stippled with diced bacon and tomato chunks. While I normally prefer whole-grain breads sprinkled with nuts and seeds or a dark German rye or pumpernickel, the soft butter brioche with this sandwich is ideal for holding together its gooey innards. Not one dollop of cheese escaped.

This sandwich merits ordering based on flavor alone, but if that's not enough to convince you to deviate from your diet, there is also a charitable component. Plate editor Chandra Ram created this grilled cheese recipe as the first in the guest chef series Melts for Meals. Each month, a new local chef or food personality will design a grilled cheese sandwich with five percent of proceeds going towards Meals on Wheels Chicago. Ram said she experimented with making pimento cheese all summer before settling on pickled pimento peppers and sharp cheddar cheese in the final preparation. Ram's sandwich is available at Little Market through the end of September, while Sepia's Andrew Zimmerman is up next for October.