Grilled Cheese Fest turns comfort food into competition
By: Rose Ragsdale
Hi Tone Café will host its Grilled Cheese Festival, complete with elaborate gold trophies adorned by the signature comfort food, local restaurant competitors and a professional clown this Sunday. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is in support of THRIVE Memphis, a center for intellectually disabled individuals.
Brian “Skinny” McCabe, the owner of The Hi Tone, is bringing the festival back after a four-year hiatus. It is the last large festival event of the year in Memphis and features performances from local bands The Heavy Pour, Sunweight and The Memphis Winslows.
In addition to live music, competitors in the grilled cheese sandwich contest will provide samples for a small donation. This year’s participants include Huey’s, Loflin Yard and Local Downtown.
“We’ve already presold about a hundred something tickets,” McCabe said. “It’s pretty cool.”
This year The Hi Tone is fundraising for THRIVE Memphis to support their goals and ongoing growth. THRIVE’s mission is to provide program participants with field trips, social activities and support on a regular basis.
“In the state of Tennessee, you age out of the public school system at 22, and there’s actually nothing for you to do,” THRIVE employee Ally Reyna said. “That’s where we step in.”
She said the goal of this event is not only to generate money for their programs and field trips, but also create more awareness. THRIVE branched out from their original organization, The Exceptional Foundation of West Memphis, in 2019 and have served the Memphis community since.
A booth with more information about their work and how to get involved will be at the event.
The panel of judges this year includes Tundrea Lyons-Brock, a local Radio Memphis personality and veteran Grilled Cheese Fest judge. Additional flavors outside of butter and cheese are what make these sandwiches elevated from the college student classic. In years prior there were riffs on a Monte Cristo sandwich, truffle sandwiches and more.
“Somehow these people are able to do it every year,” she said. “Each year is so fun because you never know what to expect.”
McCabe has multiple extravagant trophies as well as prizes for the award-winning sandwiches. A booth sponsored by South Point Grocery and SYSCO Food Distributor will provide additional free grilled cheeses all day.
Larry Clark, friend of McCabe and traveling clown, will be entertaining around the festival. McCabe’s 7-year-old daughter will be running the kid’s corner as well.
“We want it to be kid friendly, pet friendly,” McCabe said. “Pretty much all the stuff you can’t do at The Hi Tone normally.”
Find tickets online at hitonecafe.com or memphisgrilledcheese.com, or in person at the event.