Field Report: Spacebar

It's time for a long overdue field report right here in my own backyard.  Although I have tried The Big Cheese Truck, this was my first visit to a local restaurant that specializes in grilled cheese.  Spacebar is a new kid on the block where local grilled cheeses are concerned, but the key is that they are (as far as I've found) the only local restaurant that has dedicated their menu to the greatest sandwiches of our time: grilled cheeses (some of their melts border on non-grilled-cheese territory, but their intent is still clear).  Located just down Lee Highway from my apartment, Spacebar sits in the heart of Falls Church, so on our way to a concert at the nearby State Theater we decided to check it out.

The parking lot is pretty tiny, which is not ideal for a restaurant that's about 6 miles from the closest metro station, but we snagged a space and headed in.  It's clear that Spacebar's ideal vibe is a night spot that serves a variety of craft beers and grilled cheese sandwiches, so it wasn't that crowded when we came in around 7:00 PM, but presumably business picks up later in the evening.  We ordered at the bar, seated ourselves in a booth, and enjoyed a beer apiece while we waited.  In no time our sandwiches and side of tater tots arrived (Spacebar is owned by the same people who run Galaxy Hut, another local favorite known for its sides of tots).

After much deliberation during the ordering process I had selected Gouda and Havarti on multi grain.  The first thing I noticed about the sandwich was how gooey it was.  Cheese was oozing onto the plate as soon as it arrived.  As we all know, I LOVE CHEESE, and as far as I'm concerned, the more the better.  I was excited and dove right in.  The gooeyness was, of course, the first thing I noticed.  That along with a perfectly charred bread instantly put a smile on my face.  The super gooey texture of the Gouda blends well with the Havarti flavor, so the sandwich has a perfect balance between charred bread and gooey cheese.  Just looking at it right now makes my stomach growl again.  The only minor issue I encountered was that the crust seems dry because the cheese doesn't tend to ooze out of there as much as it does out of the center.  I solved this problem by eating the crust first (dipped in ketchup) and saving the cheesiest bites for last (I always save the very best bite for last, and you know you do too).

Colin had selected pastrami and Swiss with sauerkraut on rye.  He didn't have as much to say as I do because he was busy scarfing his down (I took that to be a good sign).  Since I'm not a mind reader I can't give you his bite by bite analysis, but he remarked on the sandwich's nice even melt.  His was gooey as well despite the abundance of non-gooey fillings like pastrami and sauerkraut.  He noted that for both of us the presentation is understated (a lonely sandwich on a white plate), but that the taste is excellent and more than makes up for what presentation may lack.

In summary, our visit showed us that Spacebar does well with both simple and complex sandwiches and we agreed that the trip was a success and that Spacebar will now be added to our regular restaurant rotation.  Plus, you gotta love the tots!