614612 Fri Apr 24 08:20:10 -0700 2009 7 2 Los Angeles Area 0 4624753 Any Hounds going to the Grilled Cheese Invitational tomorrow? Any recs from years past? http://grilledcheeseinvitational.com/ Fri Apr 24 08:20:10 -0700 2009 18466 a_and_w 1 4625018 I went last year, and it was so crowded it wasn't really worth it, as a spectator. Imagine fighting off mobs of people for an hour in order to get about a quarter of a grilled cheese sandwich. I hear they're charging admission this year, which might help the crowd thing a bit. Fri Apr 24 09:40:21 -0700 2009 4624753 23677 duke_of_mildew 2 4625426 Uh oh...that doesn't sound promising. A friend of mine went two years ago and had a great time, but missed it last year. Any recs for backup places around N. Spring and W. College in case we leave hungry? Fri Apr 24 11:22:11 -0700 2009 4625018 18466 a_and_w 3 4625538 Nicks is directly across the street. Are they open on weekends? You are also China Town adjacent. Home Girl Cafe is right there as well and Phillipes is also. Fri Apr 24 11:53:27 -0700 2009 4625426 10883 JAB 4 4632242 Thanks JAB. As it turns out, places in the immediate area were packed with pissed off people from the Invitational, so we went elsewhere. Mon Apr 27 09:10:47 -0700 2009 4625538 18466 a_and_w 1 4632210 Wow...what a fiasco. It was just as the duke of mildew described. I would advise Hounds to avoid future Grilled Cheese Invitationals like the plague. After standing in an endless line and fighting through mobs of hungry people for two tiny morsels of grilled cheese, we finally gave up and headed elsewhere. Our first stop was Philippe's for french dip, but the line was insane there, as well, with people hungry from the Invitational. So we hopped on the metro and headed over to K-Town for an epic meal at Park's. Finally, after some belts of beef, twelve panchan, and plenty of OB mek-chu, equilibrium was restored. Mon Apr 27 09:04:58 -0700 2009 4624753 18466 a_and_w 2 4633700 I have to agree, this event was a total disaster. It was so disorganized and utterly ridiculous, it would have been funny if I wouldn't have been so hungry. Apparently, there were only 1,700 judging tickets which were given to the first 1,700 people who arrived.. and here's the best part, each ticket was good for ONE sample. Now, how are you going to judge anything if you can't compare the sandwiches? It was complete and total bedlam by the time I arrived, there was no one to answer questions or provide any sort of assistance and the only food available (without the aforementioned tickets) was Kraft single sandwiches, blech. If you don't know how to execute an event... don't attempt it, or here's a good idea, get some help from someone who knows what they are doing. Waste of time and energy. And I went to Phillipe's too - the line was insane. The day was saved by carne asada tacos and margaritas...but I'm still bitter about the lack of cheesey goodness. Mon Apr 27 15:26:16 -0700 2009 4632210 157481 wendysland 1 4634028 I couldn't handle the long lines either, so I went over and watched some of the NFL Draft at Eastside Market & Italian Deli and enjoyed a roast beef and pastrami sandwich. It is pretty good and no long lines like Phillipe's. Mon Apr 27 17:08:37 -0700 2009 4624753 150282 dabruins07