Syracuse Sandwich: Kitty Hoyne's Naughtons Galway Grilled Cheese

Who: Kitty Hoyne's What: Naughtons Galway Grilled Cheese
Where: Armory Square, Syracuse Phone: 622-5883‎ Website: Kitty Hoynes
Parking: Street Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     One of the last plans of Christine’s birthday was to go out to dinner. I suggested maybe to go downtown since we were close, being at the mall to see Iron Man 2. She decided on Kitty Hoyne’s in Armory Square. I had never been but I am a huge fan of Irish food so I knew it would be a good choice. Getting a parking spot around 5 o’clock in Armory Square is difficult because people park down there for work and people come down for all the restaurants and shops. We were able to grab a spot about a block away. I had to pay to park for an hour but I had a mound of change in the car so that wasn’t a problem. Kitty Hoyne’s sits in an old brick building on the corner of Franklin and Fayette. We entered through the bar and were sat promptly. The menu has around 35 to 45 dishes which includes a good sized sandwich selection. Immediately I thought to go with a Rueben but I wanted something original. Their Rueben sounded like one you could get any place that sells them. I thought about a few of the choices before ultimately going with a more original sandwich on the menu, the grilled cheese.

     Grilled cheese? That isn’t original. Well actually this was more than a regular grilled cheese. Naughtons Galway Grilled cheese was the name and its description was as followed: Grilled ham, fresh basil, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and cheddar cheese on grilled sourdough. This came with a side of fruit, salad, soup, fries, or champ. From what I’ve gathered, champ is just mashed potatoes. We had ordered an appetizer of potato skins so I went with a Caesar salad. Let me just side track and tell you about the potato skins. We received 3 potato halves filled with twice baked potatoes topped with cheddar cheese and bacon pieces. One could make a meal out of these since potatoes are so filling. The only thing I’ll say about the taste is that they were so good that I will go there again solely to order them again. Our food arrived a few minutes after we finished the potato skins and we were soon to find out that the great tastes had just begun.

     Christine had ordered the Shepherd’s pie which was a safe choice but a delicious one none the less. My grilled cheese was a little on the thin side but that didn’t take away from the taste. The sharpness of the cheddar and the sweetness of the mozzarella contrasted nicely against one another. Thinly sliced tomatoes had a sweet taste which, once warmed up added creaminess to them as well. I liked the smoky grilled taste the ham brought; unfortunately there wasn’t much of it. Another sweet ingredient, basil, mixed with the tomatoes and mozzarella wonderfully. Fresh basil is a great substitute for lettuce when you’re looking to add some greens to a sandwich but don’t use as much when doing so. This sandwich reminded me of a Caprese sandwich which is made up of basil, mozzarella, and tomato. Cheddar and ham were great additions especially on buttery sour dough bread. I will be back again because Kitty Hoyne’s has given me multiple reasons to do so.

Rating: Tasty - Would have liked to have more ham. So close to greatness, but I'll be back.