The Cheese Factory Restaurant

The Cheese Factory Restaurant, at 521 Wisconsin Dells Parkway South, in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, is a unique gem.  It is an elegant restaurant housed in an former cheese factory, with a soda fountain, espresso bar, and a ballroom, that serves only vegetarian and vegan food, and is run by 5-star quality staff from all over the world. 

I have been to The Cheese Factory several times.  Their menu has so many great choices I have never eaten the same entrée twice.  Besides the familiar meatless meals that might hide on many typical restaurant menus (veggie burrito, pizza, etc.), they have seitan and tofu dishes that are works of art.  Last Friday I went specifically to try their famous "The Big Cheese" grilled cheese sandwich which has been lauded in the November 2009 issue of Every Day With Rachel Ray, as one of four over the top grilled cheese sandwiches in the nation.

Though I have never had the same dinner, I almost always start with The Cheese Factory's Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup.  It is a lighter variety than most beer cheese soups, but quite flavorful.  It's base is Old Milwaukee beer and it includes very finely grated carrots.

The Big Cheese is made of three slices of very thinly sliced sourdough bread, sharp cheddar, Swiss, and Romano cheeses, and Roma tomatoes.  The sandwich's assembly and presentation was immaculate.  Despite being a double decker, the bread didn't overwhelm the sandwich as a whole.  It was lightly seasoned, perfectly grilled, and not too crisp.  The three cheeses complemented each other.  They were melted but semi-solid and not gooey.  This was a very well done grilled cheese sandwich.