Although he is known throughout our region as the king of the grilled cheese, Chef Joe McCarthy’s roots are actually in fine dining. He has worked in top restaurants in New York and Chicago and his aspirations were originally to become a celebrity chef. This humble food, though, has given him a whole lot to celebrate, and a powerful creative outlet in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. From a chef’s standpoint, he feels that you can go anywhere around the world with grilled cheese. Meltz is no stranger to accolades. USA Today named them in an article highlighting a great grilled cheese sandwich in each state, they earned the North Idaho Business Journal’s Best Sandwich, best fast-casual dining in North Idaho from the Spokane Guild, and the Inlander’s Best Mac and Cheese in North Idaho. If you haven’t been yet, simply put, you’re missing out.

How did he make this little spot in a gas station strip mall such a success? “Everything is better with cheese,” he laughed as he explained. “My skills in fine dining can actually show through pretty well with the versatility of such a deceptively simple product and concept.” Inspiration to start Meltz came from the desire to become an entrepreneur while he was working as a chef for the Indianapolis 500 series for more than 10 years, and his job entailed flying around the country for up to 20 weeks of the year being away from his family. “I need to figure this out because I don’t want to be gone this much,” he said. “There weren’t many jobs for chefs in the area at that time, where they pay you for what you are worth with your skillset as a chef, so you end up having to make your own brand.” He also cooked twice at the James Beard House and was eagerly looking to his next opportunity when he stumbled upon a new idea to keep him close to home with his growing family.

He thought about what would work locally, and when he saw a Food Network special on the “Grilled Cheese Truck” out of Los Angeles, a light bulb went on. In our cold climate, with an approachable price point and with the potential versatility of the product, he knew he could have a real winner on his hands. And win it has.

The selections currently available are ever-changing, and packed with bold, interesting flavors. A favorite of ours was the “California Roll” grilled cheese, which was inspired by—you guessed it—sushi. A National Grilled Cheese Award winner—the Potsticker—is a tried-and-true favorite and absolutely delicious every single time. A recent creation that I was lucky to try was the Marleyz Meltdown, inspired by Bob Marley and his Carribean roots with plantain chips, jerk pork and cilantro. If you can dream it, he can make it into a delicious, crispy, extreme grilled cheese creation.

The difference in the quality of his product, he feels, comes from the strong vision and daily consistency provided by true chef ownership. He is there almost every day and is the guiding influence on the menu, service, and his relationship with customers. He has also learned valuable strategies along the way to maintain profitability. Although his first seven months were insanely busy, he didn’t turn a profit until he began to evaluate systems carefully and make strategic decisions to maximize his margins. Despite the fact that most restaurants do not survive the first two years, he beat the odds and continues to perform.

More than just a sandwich shop, his business thrives because of the dynamic individuals who work there. When I asked him how he supports his staff, he said, “I try to be more motivational than anything. I work to build them up rather than tear them down. As a chef, you can make food your whole world, and I think a lot of young chefs can get consumed in that. But, it’s really about supporting people and trying to motivate, encourage them and provide them a lot of grace. Each person has their own skill set, and it’s about seeing what their assets are and making them fit in the best place for them in the puzzle here.” He pointed out the kitchen and service employees behind him and explained how many years each of them had been working there and what their strengths were. He clearly cares about his staff as individuals, and it shows in the interactions they have with each other and with customers every day.

He also showed a great deal of appreciation for his customers and explained how blown away he is every day by how graciously people tip his staff. They split all of the tips equally, and it helps to provide an income more reflective of their hard work. “People don’t respect this industry enough, you know,” he explained. “Why can’t being an awesome person in hospitality or in food service be a respected career? It’s an awesome thing, serving people. It seems like in our world that it’s just something on the way to something else, and it’s tough. There are long hours in the kitchen, long hours on our feet, and it’s often just a lot of passion that keeps us going.”

You can find Meltz at 1735 W. Kathleen Ave. in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.