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@Kenji -- Have you had a Rosenfeld's bagel? Certainly best in Boston, and I'd put it up against any "New York" variety.

For the way a split-top bun is meant to be eaten, get a hot dog at Simco's on Blue Hill Ave in Mattapan. They sear both sides of the bun on a griddle, so it's golden and crisp.

I think the whole idea of tipping is ridiculous: do you tip the toll collector for taking your money? Do you tip the gas man for reading your meter? Do you tip your IT guy for fixing your computer? Of course not. Now, obviously, they don't live on tips. GUESS WHAT: NEITHER SHOULD WAITERS! How insane is it that a customer has to pay basically twice: for the food and for the service? Can you imagine if we had to tip UPS person for delivering the package to your house? Here's another tidbit: are the dishes heavier at T.G.I. Fridays than they are in a fancy steakhouse with $100+ dishes? Where do you come off with a sense of entitlement to a $20 tip just because the food was $100, whereas at Fridays a $20 plate would only get a $4 tip? If restaurant you work at charges that much for food, let them pay you! Enough is enough!

I think good bread is important - not just white bread OR Wonder Bread (which to me isn't bread but something too soft) - 2 slices of cheese (either american cheese BUT NOT Cheddar - it gets greasy) - American, Monterey Jack, Pepper jack, Muenster, all good. With or without bacon fine with me! Also I've also been known to put pesto sauce and a slice of good heirloom tomato. One important point - all cheeses should be American in some way - made in the U.S.A. - nothing Italian. If you are putting Mozzarella, fontina, provolone or any of them, then it is a panini, not a Grilled Cheese. Even Havarti is good (I know that isn't American - that is my one exception).

It must be made in a cast iron pan with something on top to press it down a bit. I use either my tea kettle OR a heavy pot lid. If made in a panini grill or a George Foreman Grill, it is a panini, not a grilled cheese.

Also no weird combos like Sugar said - cheddar with maple or apple butter or grape jelly. Ick. Nothing sweet. It is a savory sandwich, not a sweet sandwich. If you are putting cheese and sweet together then it is an appetizer bruschetta or something like that. Not Grilled Cheese.

Just my very long 2 cents...

If they are to be sold as human or even animal food, then yes they need a label, warning of the dangers of consuming such a concoction of factory farmed slaughterhouse scraps.
People still eat those? Why would you do that to yourself!? I can recall years back when my dad ate them after his chemo. GROSS!

The proper name is a Grilled Cheese Sammich as defined by GCI (Grilled Cheese Invitational). GCI has also defined Grilled Cheese Sammich in three categories, Missionary, Kama Sutra, and Honey Pot.

The Missionary Position: Standard bread, standard cheese (or cheeses), standard butter and NO ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS.

The Kama Sutra: Any kind of bread, any kind of butter, and any kind of cheese PLUS additional ingredients (the interior ingredients must be at least 60% cheese).

The Honey Pot: Any kind of bread, any kind of butter, and any kind of cheese (the interior ingredients of the sammich must be at least 60% cheese), and with an overall flavor that is sweet and would best be served as dessert.

Eating anything unhealthy every day increases risk of...death! Be it by cancer or heart disease, it's always a good idea to balance unhealthy foods with either healthy foods or...exercise! Tell those fatty kids to get off their asses.

Growing up in a military household that traveled to a new location every 3-4 years, the best old staple regardless of where we were was grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbells tomato soup. More often than not it was Wonder bread, (builds strong bodies 12 ways), Kraft American (before they were individually wrapped) and Campbells soup made with milk (MMMMM Good). The sandwich was made with butter and squished til toasty in a skillet; cast iron or othewise, which ever one was handiest and a big pot of soup; at least 2-3 cans of it. When we were is Spain we discovered the wonderful spanish cheeses and being daring made sandwiches with them but you know. nothing compares to the good old classic While I may deviate from the comfort path of white bread and american cheese, I do occassionaly grab a loaf of artisian bread, some fontina and gruyere, butter it and toast it all up then sit back and wax poetically in the decadence of it all, smiling the entire time with the memory of it all. (But between you and me, my daughter still prefers white bread and american, you know how kids are.)

I found options #2 and #3 amusing, because after all, cheese IS a protein..........

Just to echo: the focus of the sandwich should be the melty cheese goodness. Other ingredients are totally acceptable, as long as the enhance the main.

I don't eat hot dogs because I think they are disgusting, but there are also some pretty scary studies about soy. Maybe all those veggie dogs and burgers need a warning label as well.

@hmw0029- Thanks for the feedback. Yes, my articles that I chose are old, but the general information from it is still relevant.

Though I had difficulty getting the first two articles that you prescribed, I did have the opportunity to read the last article.

You are correct in saying that nitrites have a very little chance of changing into the destructive nitroso compounds; however, I think the abstract that you read is misleading. If you read the discussion and conclusions of the article, it states that the combination of nitrites and hemin increases the likeliness of colon cancer. It is not just hemin alone. Nitrites are a precursor to carcinogenic compounds, but that does not mean that all nitrites will become cancerous. It is the presence of the hemin that quickly changes the nitrites into carcinogens.

While looking up more recent articles for my edification, I stumbled upon a very fascinating article: Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42 (4), pp 1032–1037

It states that these nitroso compounds are in hot tubs, pools, and the like. Nonetheless, there is not any conclusive evidence that hot tubs cause bladder cancer.

Is there a connection between cancer and nitroso compounds? Yes, but there is no concrete evidence that being subject to its precursors will make you sick. And really, what determines if one becomes sick or not? Not all people that are overweight have health problems, but they are more likely to be sick. In the same way, not all precursors will cause cancer, but there is some risks associated with eating nitrites.

As to the question posed in this blog, I'm not sure if we should put warning labels, but I hope people become at least a little more aware of what is going on chemically when they are eating. Sure you can eat hot dogs and bacon, but don't eat it every other day. You can die from just about anything if you have too much of it. (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/sports/othersports/20marathon.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=death%20too%20much%20water&st=cse)

the head of the legal team promoting this lawsuit was on the radio this morning in Chicago (WGN) He stated their agenda as being to promote veganism, not cancer prevention. The radio host stated that in an off the air conversation, the lawyer stated that this was a way for their cause to get multiple years of press promoting veganism while it was tied up in court, and they had no hope of winning, just bleeding the companies with large legal fees. Fine them for filing a frivolous lawsuit.

According to procedures established by USDA, nitrosamine testing required products to be cooked at a minimum of 350 degrees F. This is the ideal temperature for formation of nitrosamines. This is why grilled and griddled meats are of concern as promoting carcinogens. Nitrosamines can form at low temperature, but usually require a protein source and a catalyst, usually something acidic. This is a reason Spice blends for cured meats are not allowed to contain nitrites or nitrates, upon storage the amino acids in the protein can react and for nitroso compounds.

Regulations regarding manufacturing cured meats underwent huge changes almost 40 years ago when the concerns were first realized, and levels of use for nitrites and nitrates were evaluated and regulated to minimize the possibility of forming these components. many of the studies people are citing pre date this work, just like people think The Jungle is a factual documentation of today's meat industry, even though it is a fictional work that predates the original Federal meat inspection act which is over 80 years old.