A reminder that The Grilled Cheese Invitational is this Saturday afternoon. Thousands of people (last year's crowd numbered over 5,000). Thousands of sandwiches. Hundreds of thousands of calories, as if we cared.

And if you're still standing — and still hungry — on Sunday, Eric Greenspan, winner of the 2008 Invitational with a short-rib-and-Tallegio combo and a competitor in this weekend's event, will be trying out new grilled cheese sandwiches at The Foundry. Greenspan, who is taking over the space next door to his Melrose Avenue restaurant to open a “Grilled Cheesery” in late summer, will be doing R & D at The Foundry this Sunday and every Sunday until the new place opens, hopefully in August. Construction will begin the end of May.

Will the new “demo” sandwiches be the same as those Greenspan will be grilling at this Saturday's Invitational? Will they involve pastrami? Apple chutney? Perhaps. The chef would neither confirm nor deny sandwich details, but would say that he wanted to try them out “so we can write a menu that's fit for the entire community.” As for the new place, what exactly is it?

“Is it a stand? Is it a restaurant? Who knows,” said Greenspan loudly by phone yesterday. “I gravitate towards the use of 'stand.' It's not going to be a fucking shack.” Of course it isn't. Eat enough of Greenspan's $6 sandwiches, drink enough of his $2 beers, on Sunday nights between this weekend and August, and maybe he'll let you name it yourself.

Grilled Cheese Invitational: April 24th, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.; Los Angeles Center Studios, 1201 West Fifth Street, Los Angeles. The Foundry on Melrose: 7465 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 651-0915.

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