Throughout the month, restaurants are participating in the town’s annual grilled cheese event, which is less of a competition and more of a community fundraiser built around one of the most comforting foods imaginable.
Local restaurants create their own grilled cheese specials for the month, and diners are encouraged to visit participating locations and try the different sandwiches. The event brings people out to explore local restaurants while supporting a meaningful cause.
For every grilled cheese sandwich sold during the event, $2 is donated to local food banks, helping provide meals for families throughout the region. What begins as a simple meal quickly becomes something larger, neighbors supporting neighbors while enjoying creative takes on a classic comfort food.
One of the featured stops along the Say Cheese trail this year is Cartwright’s Taprock Grill, located at 971 SE 6th Street in Grants Pass. Taprock is a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Rogue River and features two outdoor decks along with two indoor seating levels.
This year also marks the first time Taprock has participated under the ownership of Cartwright’s Market, which purchased the restaurant about a year ago. Taprock may have participated in previous years under former ownership, but this is Cartwright’s first opportunity to join the fundraiser since acquiring the restaurant.
With the new ownership also came new culinary leadership. Cartwright’s brought in Executive Corporate Chef Bon Hewlett, who joined the team around the same time as the transition. Wanting to ensure Taprock was part of the community effort, Chef Hewlett developed the restaurant’s entry for this year’s event.
The featured sandwich offers a bold twist on the classic grilled cheese. It includes smoked short rib layered with a rich bacon-onion jam, creating a deep savory flavor. The cheese combination, muenster, creamy Havarti, and provolone, melts together into a smooth and indulgent layer. Fresh arugula adds a light peppery contrast, and everything is served on locally made sourdough bread toasted to a crisp golden finish.
Chef Hewlett explains the approach simply: “The secret to our short rib is simple: start with the best from Cartwright’s, add a little Rogue River smoke, and don’t stop until the cheese is perfectly molten.”
Taprock’s smoked short rib grilled cheese features smoked short ribs, Havarti and muenster cheeses, fresh arugula, sweet bacon jam, and sourdough bread. The flavors pop immediately, combining savory and sweet elements that make the sandwich stand out among the many creative entries featured around town this month.
Supporting the Josephine County Food Bank while getting the opportunity to try creative grilled cheese sandwiches makes the event a win-win for the community.
As residents and visitors move around Grants Pass sampling the month’s grilled cheese creations, the impact extends far beyond the plate. Each sandwich sold helps support local food banks while highlighting the restaurants that make the community vibrant.
In the end, the event is not really about competition at all. It is about community, restaurants coming together, residents showing their support, and a simple grilled cheese sandwich helping make a difference for families in need.
