Taste Test Tuesday: The Grilled Cheeserie

Last Saturday, the Grilled Cheeserie sat in Centennial Park amid guitar-strumming hipsters and deafening cicadas in equal-sized crowds. A staple of Musicians Corner, the large black food truck parked mere feet away from a Ben and Jerry's cart. It was enough to inspire fear in sufferers of lactose intolerance.

But my parents and I weren't there for the music, we weren't there for the ice cream, and we most certainly weren't there for the cicada serenade. We were there to try the cheesey food truck taking Nashville by storm.

Started in November of 2010 by Crystal De Luna-Bogan and her husband Joseph Bogan, the Grilled Cheeserie is a mobile restaurant bringing its customers the best of hand-held comfort food. "I knew I had to do something I loved to make or I'd get sick of it," said chef Luna-Bogan in an interview with The Nashville Scene  last fall. "It's really good bread and really good cheese."

She's not just tooting her own horn. These sandwiches are tasty and decadent with a hint of homemade flavor. While there are several "Specialty Melts" ($7), including a clever tuna casserole melt and a traditional Croque Madame, my party and I opted to make our own. I started with a base of sourdough bread and cheddar cheese for $4. Extras like tomatoes and local Benton's bacon brought the total up to $5.50. Add a side of homemade tater tots with a smokey tomato ketchup and a cool IBC root beer, and my meal totaled just over $10.

The sandwich was gooey and rich, a grown-up version of my childhood favorite, but the real stars of the show were the tots. Crispy on the outside, hot and mushy on the inside, these fried potatoes were perfectly seasoned and paired well with the truck's homemade "Tot Sauce."

My parents ordered soup as their side ($2 for a small cup), a tomato bisque infused with smokey-bacon flavor that was perfect for dipping. I might go so far as to say I liked the sides more than the sandwich!

With active Facebook and Twitter followings, the Grilled Cheeserie uses social media as its main form of communication with fans. Daily updates inform where the truck will park for lunch and dinner, and specials are always posted as well.

Readers, has the food truck trend taken over your city? What do you think of a mobile meal?