Included Is Crispy Gruyère Cheese, “Like a Nutty, Sharp Cracker”
By Zach Armstrong
The “croque Matthieu”, featured on the bar menu of Santa Monica’s Pasjoli, is the best grilled cheese sandwich in the universe according to Los Angeles Times Food Columnist Jenn Harris.
“The bread, annealed and shiny, was all crunch and butter. Then there was crispy Gruyère cheese, like a nutty, sharp cracker cemented to the inside of the sandwich. It shattered into a puddle of rich, creamy Mornay sauce that melted into sweet caramelized onions and shaved Bayonne ham.” wrote Harris in the Sept. 11 column. “The decadence of French onion soup, the simplicity of a good jambon beurre and the thrill of a gooey grilled cheese were all present, crammed into this four-bite sandwich. Its unabashed decadence is something to marvel.”
Mathew Kim, the French bistro’s former chef de cuisine who made a grilled cheese covered in Mornay sauce and a fried egg, is who the menu item is named after. Chef-owner Dave Beran recently brought back the sandwich after initially appearing on the menu as a limited takeaway item.
Pasjoli is presented by award-winning chef Dave Beran who moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to open his first restaurant, Dialogue. The restaurant earned him a Michelin star and Five Stars from Forbes Travel Guide. Located at 2732 Main Street with dinner doors opening at 5:15 p.m., more information on Pasjoli can be found at https://www.pasjoli.com/.
The full Los Angeles Times column can be read at https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-09-11/grilled-cheese-sandwich-roast-beef-fried-chicken
