There’s a battle raging in the vegan dairy world. Bay Area-based vegan dairy company Miyoko's Creamery is embroiled in a legal fight with its namesake and founder Miyoko Schinner.

Miyoko's Creamery, one of the most popular vegan dairy companies in the country, publicly ousted Schinner earlier this month. According to a corporate press release from February 16, Schinner “exited as CEO and is no longer involved in day-to-day operations.”

However, the Chronicle reported that the Board privately made the decision last summer due to her "numerous performance deficiencies." Schinner reportedly founded the company in 2014, helping it raise more than 85 million to date and bringing its alt-cheeses and butters from a Petaluma production center to more than 20,000 stores nationally, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart.

Now, numerous outlets are reporting that the company has also sued her for breach of contract and theft of intellectual property. According to SFGate, Miyoko’s Creamery filed a civil lawsuit against Schinner the same day, February 16, accusing her of breaching a contract and stealing intellectual property.

One Miyoko’s board member described the conflict as a “battle for the integrity of the company,” according to the Chronicle.

The company alleges she transferred more than 24,000 documents to “a non-company hard drive” after the board of directors reportedly unanimously terminated her as CEO in June 2022, and that an additional 2,900 documents disappeared from company computers.  

Schinner has since posted a few times on LinkedIn, responding to the allegations. Regarding her nonpublic demotion last year, she wrote last week, “It is true that I was unwilling to agree to restrictions that would have made any ongoing role I played at this Company ‘for appearances’ only.”

The Chronicle reports that the lawsuit alleges that this dismissal, Schinner remained an employee, but “(i)nstead of facilitating an orderly transition,” she “hatched a plot to steal the Company’s property, trade secrets, and confidential information so that she could create a competing company.”

Schinner maintains that there’s more to it. “I want to let you know that I am not being silent, but searching for the right time to tell my story,” her LinkedIn post from Friday reads.

However, Miyoko Creamery’s complaint reportedly also claims that the company has video surveillance of Schinner and another former employee apparently taking some cheese cultures and unreleased product prototypes from company facilities without authorization. As per the lawsuit, Schinner is accused of not repaying a loan of $112,500 that she had taken from the company

Miyoko Creamery’s current CFO John Blair has stepped into the interim role as CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement for Schinner, the company has said.

Image via Flickr/Tony Webster under Creative Commons.

Eight months before their company's 20th birthday, Cowgirl Creamery owners Sue Conley and Peggy Smith have sold their nationally distributed cheese business to a larger Swiss dairy company, Emmi, which six months ago also bought up Sebastopol goat dairy farm Redwood Hills Farm and Creamery.

"We felt with great confidence that we have found a like-minded, value-aligned partner in Emmi," the duo wrote in a Facebook post announcing the move, which was initially reported by the Chronicle.

The deal comes along with Tomales Bay Foods, Cowgirl's distribution wing, and its terms haven't been disclosed. But, to give you a sense of Emmi's size, we're told that the company posted net sales of more than $3 billion last year as iSwitzerland's largest milk processor. The company is operated by a cooperative of dairy farmers and was founded in 1907.

The much humbler Cowgirl, nonetheless, has gotten pretty legit since 1997. Then, it was just one of six local cheesemaking operations, and now there are more than 24 in the area. Cowgirl employs 95 people, produces about a dozen cheese varieties, and sports a retail outpost in the Ferry building, which was closed for a remodel at the beginning of the month, as well as a sister café also on the premises.

"We have worked with and admired Emmi for some time," Peggy and Sue write on Facebook, their retail shop having carried some of Emmi's products in the past. With the addition of new capital and expertise, they'll also expand to a new Petaluma production facility and bring back their popular cottage cheese.

Furthermore, the previous owners' professional involvement with Cowgirl won't change. "Sue and I will continue to have the same involvement with the companies, co-managing directors; serving as President and Vice President," Peggy writes.

In a related article, the Chronicle notes that acquisitions and mergers in the Bay Area food world have been on the rise. Last year, for example, Perdue bought up locals Niman Ranch, a sustainable meat company, and before that, dutch beer goliath Heineken purchased a 50 percent stake in Petaluma's Lagunitas Brewing Company. And yesterday there was news that respected Healdsburg boutique winery Copain has been sold to the conglomerate Jackson Family Wines.

“The valuations of companies in this space have really picked up,” Jeff Pera, a consultant at tax advisory firm Grant Thornton in San Francisco who works with food companies, told the paper. Pera added that family-run companies that lacked clear successors to operate them are among those most frequently acquired.

Related: Perdue Gobbles Up Niman's Sustainable Meat Ranch

Cheesehounds will recall the debacle of 2005 when the FDA ruled that Americans could no longer consume raw-milk cheeses aged for less than 60 days, causing chaos in the French cheese industry where they scrambled to make pasteurized versions of their soft cheeses for the American market. Now there's a new panic sweeping the cheese world as a pre-existing guideline from the FDA is suddenly being enforced, potentially forcing artisan cheese makers to stop doing something cheese-makers have done for centuries, which is aging wheels of cheese on wood shelves.

The controversy started over a cheese maker in upstate New York who was repeatedly cited by FDA inspectors for bacterial contamination. As the Chron and other report, a clarification from the FDA was requested by a Cornell University specialist, which led to FDA section chief Monica Metz issuing the following statement:

Microbial pathogens can be controlled if food facilities engage in good manufacturing practice. Proper cleaning and sanitation of equipment and facilities are absolutely necessary to ensure that pathogens do not find niches to reside and proliferate. Adequate cleaning and sanitation procedures are particularly important in facilities where persistent strains of pathogenic microorganisms like Listeria monocytogenes could be found. The use of wooden shelves, rough or otherwise, for cheese ripening does not conform to cGMP requirements... Wooden shelves or boards cannot be adequately cleaned and sanitized. The porous structure of wood enables it to absorb and retain bacteria, therefore bacteria generally colonize not only the surface but also the inside layers of wood. The shelves or boards used for aging make direct contact with finished products; hence they could be a potential source of pathogenic microorganisms in the finished products.

It turns out that the banning of wood shelves for the aging of cheese was already in existing FDA rules but had not been enforced, and it's estimated that 65 percent of American cheese producers age their cheeses on wood. The reason is that very porousness — generations of cheese makers have learned that the porousness of wood allows for moisture to wick away from the cheese and prevent bacterial growth. Most cheese makers scrub down their racks between agings, and that same Cornell specialist who contacted the FDA says that "some food safety agencies [i.e. all of Europe and Canada] interpret the science to show that wood boards can be maintained in a sanitary fashion to allow for their use for cheese aging, while others (e.g., the US FDA) believe that a general ban of any wooden materials in food processing facilities is the better approach to assure food safety."

Note that if this rule starts getting taken seriously, it will mean an end to imports of all good European cheese. All. All of it.

The FDA has said they'll consider any evidence that will allow for an exception to their rule, but at the moment, the cheese and importers' lobby is going to be doing a full-court press to get this thing killed.

The Chron talks to local Monterey Jack maker Gabe Luddy, of Vella Cheese, who calls this "a crushing blow to the artisan cheese industry," and says he wouldn't even know what other material to use if they're not allowed to use wood for aging.

Update: The FDA looks to be already backing off on this, and claims that it "does not have a new policy banning the use of wooden shelves in cheese-making" despite earlier reports to the contrary. So let's everyone just calm down.

[Chron]
[RealFarmacy]

Though the price of dairy is on the rise, we implore you to grab your lactobacillus acidophilus and the closest bottle of wine to enjoy the fine selections of soft, semi-soft, hard, and semi-hard cheeses life has to offer. But before you do, check out this guide to S.F.'s 7 best cheese shops.

24th Street Cheese Company
Forget the Whole Foods across the street. The 24th Street Cheese Company, a Noe Valley institution, is the real deal. It's been around for long time and, intentional or not, they pump out the deliciously stinky and pungent cheese fumes onto the sidewalk to the enjoyment of passersby. Sure, some mal baisée yuppies bemoan the customer service and take to Yelp because of course they do, but we've personally had nothing but incisive and friendly service here in our 10+ years of coming to 24th Street Cheese. In addition to cheese, they also boast an interesting beer selection and salumi options.
3893 - 24th Street (an Sanchez), 415-821-6658

Bi-Rite Market
Now with two locations, Bi-Rite is the undisputed king of local gourmet groceries, and their cheese department is hard to match. The well informed, helpful staff will guide you through the offerings at either location, but it's even easier to see what's available and request a sliver to taste at the Divisadero branch, with its more expansive cheese counter that isn't wedged between produce and wine like it is in the Mission. Tell them what you like, be it sheep, goat, cow, or a blend, and they'll be happy to give you a taste-tour for the benefit of your next picnic or diner party, but be warned that nothing comes cheap — all the more reason to ask them to cut one of those $15 wedges in half for you, which they'll gladly do.
3639 18th Street (at Guerrero), 415-626-5600
550 Divisadero (at Hayes), 415-551-7900

Cowgirl Creamery at San Francisco's Ferry Building (photo: Renée S. Suen)

Cowgirl Creamery
Although born in Point Reyes, Cowgirl Creamery's flagship cheese shop has aged nicely in the Ferry Building Marketplace. There cheese seekers will find blocks of their award-winning triple cream Mt. Tam and aged Red Hawk alongside a carefully curated selection of similarly crafted cheeses from around the world. If it's warmer cheesiness you're looking for, try Cowgirl's Sidekick Cafe — also in the Ferry Building — where the crew melts their offerings into mac & cheese, grilled cheeses and Indian naan flatbread melts.
The Ferry Building [415-362-9350], Farmers Markets, and multiple Bay Area locations

Little Vine (photo: Little Vine)

Little Vine
Tucked away on Grant Avenue in North Beach at the foot of Telegraph Hill, Little Vine is a diminutive European-style provisions store focused on cheese and everything that pairs well with it. Despite their small size, their offerings are tremendous at over 75 varieties of cheese and 300 different wines — a third of those at picnic-friendly prices under 20 bucks. Complimenting the cheese and wine are a range of cured meats, spreads, ice cream, pastries and daily sandwich offerings.
1541 Grant Avenue (between Filbert and Union Street), 415-738-2221

(Photo: Mission Cheese)

Mission Cheese
Can you imagine living above MIssion Cheese on Valencia? That'd be the life, wouldn't it? This new dairy staple to the area features a cut-to-order variety of hand-selected, small produced offerings ranging from Northern California standards like Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog and Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk, to East Coast favorites from Jasper Hill Farms, and Wisconsin’s lesser-known cheesemakers, such as Roelli Cheese Haus and Hidden Springs Creamery. Cheesemonger Sarah Dvorak's aim here is to keep the roster in constant flux in an effort to showcase cheesemakers from all over. The selections are new and thoughtful. Give it a try. Soon. (Bonus: Stay and eat, why don't you?)
736 Valencia (at 18th Street), 415-553-8667

Rainbow Grocery will have you swimming in cheese. (photo: Heather S. / Yelp)

Rainbow Grocery
The cheese selection here is comparable to any cheese hawker you might find at any fromagerie in France. The staff is nothing short of remarkable and gracious with their cheese prowess, reigning over a selection that includes on average 350 varieties.
1745 Folsom (at Division), 415-863-0620

Fine selection at Say Cheese (photo: Say Cheese)

Say Cheese
What Bi-Rite is to 18th Street—when it comes to being the wine and cheese anchor of the little gourmet district—Say Cheese has been to Cole Valley for 37 years. Opened in 1976, this cozy little shop is one of those neighborhood gems that make you feel warm inside and glad that you live here, with a great selection of cheese and charcuterie, as well as reasonably priced wines, all within walking distance of Golden Gate Park.
856 Cole (at Carl), 415-665-5020

Honorable mentions

La Fromagerie: 2425 3rd Street (between 22nd St & 20th St) )

Cheese Plus: 2001 Polk (at Pacific)

Cheese Boutique: 660 Chenery (at Diamond); 1298 12th Avenue (at Irving)

Jay Barmann, Andrew Dalton, and Brock Keeling contributed to this article.

Now the Mission will get to feel the unadulterated dairy bliss that South Park enjoys far too often. Namely, the melty cheese-strewn sandwiches at the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Today, according to Grub and Inside Scoop, they opened a new location (very softly) at 20th and Harrison across the street from Flour + Water.

Inside Scoop has the details:

The American will be open for business today in a soft opening run, until they sell out. The kitchen is ready to roll, but the tables haven’t arrived yet. The official opening is currently slated for sometime next week, at which point they’ll settle into the normal hours. To start, those hours will be 8 a.m.-6 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch. Dinner hours will commence in February or March, and will run until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.; do note that they will not be open this weekend.

The opening menu, similar to the South Park location's roster, can be found here.

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen: 2400 Harrison Street, SF

No pop-up nonsense. No umeboshi and deer butt wine pairings. No having to go to the goddamn Mission again. Just melted cheese in a bowl and a glass or five of wine in SoMa. That's it. That's all. Soak it in. Tonight's lousy weather calls for hot, savory cheese, and lots of it. And there's no better place for such a treat than at Fondue Cowboy on Folsom Street. Hold onto your lactobacillus acidophilus, folks, here's the wildly tasty, western-themed menu:

The Traditional
Swiss Gruyere, Ementhaller, White Wine, Roasted Garlic, Fresh Ground Nutmeg

The Outlaw
Aged Cheddar, Beer, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Jalapeno, Cilantro

The Stage Coach
Compte Cheese, White wine, Roasted Garlic

The Quick Draw
Manchego, White Wine, Roasted Red Puree, Roasted Garlic

The Rawhide
Italian Dolce Gorgonzola, Emmenthaler, White Wine, Bacon, Roasted Garlic

Fondue Cowboy also serves salumi plates, salads, and chocolate fondue pots as well. Each fondue, ranging from $24 and up, can feed at least two. They also pour fine wines and buzz-inducing beers of note. Make a reservation online or, better yet, sit at the spacious bar while gazing at a Western flick on the TV or chatting up friendly pilgrims to your left and right. (The bar has turned into quite the scene as of late, almost trumping the seating area.)

Fondue Cowboy, 1052 Folsom (between Russ & Sherman), S.F. 415-431-5100

Who needs entire, well-rounded meals for dinner? Not us, that's who. Give us some cheese and some booze for sustenance, and we're a happy little drunk mouse. Which is why we love Quince's "scotch and cheese" flight for a mere $35. Head over to their newly renovated bar and lounge in the FiDi (right next to North Beach!) to nibble and sip on the following trio of cheeses and scotches:

1) Cheese: Andante Creamery Trio, Petaluma, California (goat, cow, crème fraiche)
Scotch: Bunnahabhain, 12-year-old, Islay

2) Cheese: Comté Grand Cru Alpage, Marcel Petite, Comté, France
Scotch: Speyside, 12-year-old, Highlands

3) Cheese: Keen’s Cheddar Reserve, Somerset, England
Scotch: Tobermory, 10-year-old, Isle of Mull

And if you're still famished, you can grab something from their bar menu fashioned by James Beard Award-winner, chef Michael Tusk. Or, a suitable alternative, head over to the nearby Happy Donuts for a "chocolate eclair." Delightful.

Quince Bar and Lounge Hours:
470 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco CA 94133 (cross street Montgomery)
415.775.8500
www.quincerestaurant.com

For lunch today, we had intended on eating the Roast Beef Sandwich at Darwin Cafe — SoMa's not-so-best-kept secret, a small cafe/sandwich shop tucked away on Ritch and Bryant — but we were either handed the wrong box or, most likely, swiped another person's order by accident. We can get aggressive at Darwin. The place is that good. And since it's packed at lunchtime with long lines, we tend to get grabby. But what a mistake it was for if we took our original order, we would never have had the pleasure of experiencing their Grilled Cheese with Fromage Blac, the airiest and fluffiest yet most complex grilled cheese we've crammed down our throat in ages.

We imagine Darwin's remarkable chef and staff wouldn't care much their fare labeled "fluffy" — manly men seem to run the cozy bistro — but that's just what it is: puffy, fluffy. And we mean that in the best way possible. Two robust toasted pieces of bread hold together not only an airy, climactic wad of fromage blanc, but also white cheddar, date jam, hazelnuts, and balsamic. You can add a slice of proscuitto for a mere $1, which we strongly recommend. Sweet, savory... but more on the savory side. You get the idea.

While this grilled cheese isn't as intentionally filling as, say, a sandwich one might find at South Park's American Grilled Cheese, it's also not a treat you should eat each day. Because you'll get large. Too large.

Besides this dairy orgy we happened to come across, Darwin also serves other equally phenomenal sandwiches (Bay Shrimp Melt, the aforementioned Roast Beef) as well as a slew of well-dressed salads that boast plenty of meat. They also serve (delightful) coffee. However, for lunchtime, be sure to get there early as the line grows longer and longer from noon to 2pm. Otherwifdse, it's a great spot for supper. Less packed, calmer, the perfect SoMa spot to sit at the bar for wine and good grub.

Oh, and to the patron who ended up with our roast beef? We hope you enjoyed it. We'll try to be more careful in the future.

Darwin Cafe: 212 Ritch (between Brannan & Bryant), SF, 415-800-8668

For those of you who obsess over cheese, or whose diets consists of at least 75% dairy, listen up: there's a new World Champion cheese, and her name is Agou Ossau-Iraty, she hails from southwestern France, she's made of raw sheep milk, and she can be yours in San Francisco if you can afford it.

The handmade 10-month old Ossau-Iraty made by Fromagerie Agou recently took the top award at the World Cheese Awards in England, for the second time in its brief, nutty, creamy life (the first win came in 2006). Artisanal, a New York cheese monger, described it thusly: "Its fragrance is reminiscent of toasted hazelnuts, and its taste encapsulates the sweet, buttery flavors that a great sheep's milk cheese can deliver."

Here's how a handful of cheese shops San Francisco that carry the champ are describing it and how much they're charging:

Rainbow Grocery: Though they sell two Ossau-Iraty cheeses, the award winner is "procured by Dante Cheese company" in San Francisco who "hand-selected one cheese" this year, the raw sheep's milk award winner. ($28.99/lb)

Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheese Shop at the Ferry Building: "It's an excellent cheese," we were told, "and it's made in the western Pyrenees from France, farm house style." We like France and farmhouses, so this cheese sounds more than promising. ($33.95/lb)

24th Street Cheese Company: Cheese monger Ellen Herlihy gets specific in her description of the noted cheese, saying that the Ossau-Iraty has "deep notes of chamomile and a finish of salted caramel with hints of herbaceousness." She also noted the "creamy subtext of sheep's cream" throughout the cheese. ($29.95/lb)

Cheese. It's why we live. Is there anything better than cheese? Probably not. Even some vegan cheeses are good. Very good. So is (dare we say) the occasional yellow jar cheese bought and consumed at a liquor store under the duress of binge drinking. Oh please. Don't you judge us. For we, like you, love cheese. And since you love it so much, isn't it high time you learned how to make it yourself? Enter Italian cheese expert Arcangelo "Lino" Esposito of Belfiore Cheese in Berkeley. He will head Urban Kitchen SF's fall cheese workshop, teaching you the secrets of making ricotta and pulling mozzarella from curd.

In addition it pulling mozzarella and making ricotta, you'll learn how to make curd from milk. Drool. And you'll get to take your newly made cheeses home with you.

Best of all you will be learning cheese making in the Belfiore style. The Berkeley shop is one of the few family-owned cheese joints in the Bay Area. "All Belfiore products are made 100% naturally without any additives or preservatives. The operation was established in 1987 as one of the first pioneers producing hand crafted Italian-style Mozzarella, Fior di Latte (of Fresh Mozzarella in water) here in America."

What: Make Your Own Mozzarella at Urban Kitchen SF
When: Wednesday, November 16
Where: CUESA Dacor Teaching Kitchen in the Ferry Building's North Arcade
Time: 5:30 - 7:30
Cost: $46

by Joe Payne

Just last week burgeoning grilled cheese (internet?) startup, The Melt, held a a surprise preview at their very first SF location. SFist was able to take a quick peak inside. The Michael Mina backed QR code expediting chain is opening their first space at 115 New Montgomery at the end of this month. With "grilled cheese in one minute" technology and online ordering, The Melt's founder Jonathan Kaplan (Flip Video founder) hopes to achieve national dominance with over 500 locations.

While we were asked not to review the food -- the kitchen staff hadn't been fully trained, we were told -- we can say that the sandwich tasted like... grilled cheese. (The Melt differs from other artisan melted cheese sandwich restaurants in that it gives you simple grilled sandwiches that harken back to after-school snack time. We mean that in the best way possible.) Our sandwich consisted of Wisconsin and Tillamook cheeses.

Gluten-free bread will be available in the near future.

And just a heads up to all you downtown lunch hour deal seekers, The Melt will be giving away their Michael Mina-designed sandwiches for free to Twitter and Facebook fans this coming Friday, August, 26.

The Melt, 115 New Montgomery (at Market)

By Stevie Burnich

After two years of cross country travels and much planning, Sarah Dvorak’s Mission Cheese finally opened its doors at 736 Valencia. (Be sure to read her blog about the shop, too!) At first glance, the space itself appears more cafe than than fromagerie. However, with a selection of over 30 domestic cheeses, pressed sandwiches, mac and cheese, raclette, and beer and wine license on the way, Mission Cheese is more of an amalgamation of both. Their cut to order selection houses a wide range of hand-selected, small produced offerings ranging from Northern California standards such as Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog and Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk, to East Coast favorites from Jasper Hill Farms, and Wisconsin’s lesser known cheesemakers, like Roelli Cheese Haus and Hidden Springs Creamery.

Like any great cheesemonger, it's Dvorak’s intention to keep their list in constant fluctuation in order to highlight cheesemakers from all over the country while keeping the city’s cheese aficionados entertained with new and thoughtful selections. In addition, the quality of the cheese is ensured by a staff well-versed in the handling and storage of their delicate product.

Whether you’re just stopping in for a mid afternoon snack or picking up a few treats for a Dolores Park picnic, there is guaranteed to be something to please every discerning palette. In short, Mission Cheese is should prove to be worth visiting regularly to catch up on the latest domestic cheese trends and is undoubtedly a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Mission Cheese
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11-8
736 Valencia (at 18th Street), SF

Does dairy compose 75% of your diet? Yes? Then we have a lot in common. Also, there's a good chance we might see you Sunday at the Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma, an annual ode to local cheese. Sure, the word "artisan" gets tossed around too much these days (each time you say "artisan donut," an angel gets slaughtered and turned into sashimi), but its rightfully neighbor is cheese. Delicious cheese. Perfect cheese. Calming cheese.

While all of the events are sold out, the most popular event at the Artisan Cheese Festiva is Sunday’s Marketplace. More than 65 artisan producers will sample their locally-made cheeses, accoutrements, wines and beers. Participating cheese makers are Achadinha Cheese Co., Beehive Cheese Co. (Uintah, UT), Bellwether Farms, Bohemian Creamery, Central Coast Creamery, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove Chevre, Epicurean Connection, Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese, Laura Chenel's Chevre, Marin French Cheese, Mt. Townsend Creamery (Pt. Townsend, WA), Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., Shamrock Artisan Cheese, Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Tumalo Farms (Bend, OR), Valley Ford Cheese Co., Willapa Hills Farmstead Cheese (Doty, WA), and Winchester Cheese (Winchester, CA).

Mugnaini wood-fire oven will also bust out artisan cheese-topped pies.

Your ticket ($45 adult, $25 youth) includes admission, loads of sampling, chef demos and author book signings, a wine glass, and the "coveted insulated cheese tote bag" to hold your dairy booty.

But above al else, don't forget your acidophilus.

What: Artisan Cheese Festival
When: Sunday, March 27
Where: Sheraton Sonoma County, 745 Baywood Drive at the Petaluma Marina,
Petaluma, 707-283-2888 [map]
Tickets: $45 (adults), $25 (young, 12-20)

Realizing that we here at SFist subsist on a 75% dairy diet, the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen (1 South Park Avenue) opened shop this week around the corner from us, just off South Park on Second Street. As of 11:30 a.m. today, the line was growing just around the block. And how.

Although we're very disturbed not to see American cheese used on the menu -- the stuff is classic grilled cheese fodder, not to mention being slightly titular to the new joint -- but what American Grilled Cheese Kitchen offers sure looks comforting. They've got the Feta Tomato (feta, montery jack, roasted tomatoes, tapenade, garlic butter) for $7, the Piglet (Tillamook aged white cheddar, artisan cured ham, apple mustard, rosemary butter) for $8, the Turkey Havarti (havarti, Willie Bird smoked turkey, ancho chili jam, arugula, pickled red onions) for $9, the Jalapeño Popper (chèvre, monterey jack, applewood-smoked bacon, apricot-jalapeño relish) for $9, and more.

Also, you can add tomato or bacon for a mere $.50 and $1.50, respectively. For the annoying, you can get gluten-free bread for an extra $.50.

However, if you can't wait in line, we urge you to waddle down the street to Ironside (680 Second Street) for a Pressed Cubano. Really, it's arguably the best sandwich in the entire Bay Area. Yes huh.