Cheese Does Not Belong On Every Sandwich

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By  Gwen Ihnat

You will find an entire smorgasbord of sandwiches at Max's Sandwich Shop in North London, but if you are a cheese fan, you may be disappointed. Owner Max Halley recently explained to Business Insider "why he thinks cheese has no place in a sandwich," likening it to "practically the spawn of Satan." He admits it's more of a textural thing than a flavor thing fro him. Halley also showed off some of his admittedly impressive cheese-less creations, like a spring-roll-inspired sandwich.

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I kind of get where he's coming from. I feel like cheese is just ubiquitous at this point. I have a friend whose kid (who's little, but still) asks for "cheeseburgers without the cheese" at restaurants because he doesn't get that there are such things as plain hamburgers. There are many sandwiches where cheese has no place: club, BLT, maybe just a nice roast beef with horseradish mayo. Why throw "a cold, miserable slab of waxlike cheddar," as Max puts it, in there to gum up the works, just for an extra 100 calories and not a huge boost in flavor?

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I'm not going to take it as far as Max's shop, though. I dearly love a tuna melt, and think a sharp slice of cheddar can take your sad lunchmeat sandwich from frumpy to fancy. But it definitely depends on your variety: A plastic-wrapped piece of Kraft American, no. But a lively slice of jalapeño jack, little melted Jarlsberg, or a thick slice of brie can can offer considerable flavor boosts. And I definitely see the point of the cheeseburger.

Maybe we just don't need cheese on all sandwiches though, and there, I think Halley is on to something, as cheese seems to be everywhere. What do you think?

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