We were recently invited to preview Daily Melt ‘s Backboard Specials. Excited to visit this cheese-connoisseur heaven of a restaurant, we prepared ourselves for an evening of gooey bites conveniently paired with refreshing custom-made brews from Gravity Brew Lab.
Chef Allen Susser, partner/chef at Daily Melt, is no novice when it comes to food. Named “One of the Best 10 Chefs in America” by Food & Wine Magazine, Chef Allen took from his experiences of teaching people how to eat for years and went in a completely conventional approach when it came to Daily Melt. Through the melts, Chef Allen is allowed to introduce new flavors in foods people are already comfortable eating. Melts like the Roast Turkey are accompanied by a fig and rosemary mayonnaise (two of Chef Allen’s favorite ingredients), big aromatic flavors that aren’t traditionally found in a turkey sandwich.
The folks at Gravity Brew Lab brought over two beers (their Idiot Sauvin and Malt Licker). These guys are not only punny, they make some tasty brews. The Malt Licker, their craft brew, would have originally been my go-to because I’m a fan of darker beers but the the Idiot Sauvin took the gold. Lighter and infused with lychee, It was a completely new experience tasting this flavor in beer but it was definitely not a let down.
During the preview, we tasted Daily Melt’s Blackboard Specials which were all bold in flavor, warm and (you guessed it) cheesy! Chef Allen demonstrated the craft of making each sandwich as we tried them, making the experience one in it’s own. The Blackboard Specials include an array of sandwiches and that’ll feed anyone’s craving.
The first Blackboard Special that was tasted (and also happened to be my favorite) was the Prosciutto Melt. The basil pesto and prosciutto complemented each other so well! This was paired with the Idiot Sauvin. The Roast Turkey Melt, made with brie & muenster, tomato, red onion, arugula and rosemary fig mayo in a french demi roll, was definitely a new spin to a traditional sandwich. This was paired with the Malt Licker. The Roast Beef Melt includes muenster cheese, red pepper, spinach and balsamic marmalade. It was paired with a Malt Licker. The vegetarian Blackboard Special, the Goat Cheese Melt was juicy (odd word to describe a vegetarian option but trust me!), made with artichoke, mozzarella, bruschetta, arugula and lemon pesto. The Grilled Chicken Cobb Melt was a close second to the Proscuitto Melt, made with cheddar, mild bleu, bacon tomato, avocado and ranch. These two were accompanied by the Idiot Sauvin. Chef Allen’s Blackboard Special is featured and rotated weekly at only $7.95.
“With a great sandwich you need a great pickle!” exclaimed Chef Allen as he demonstrated his pickling techniques. Having grown up on pickles in Brooklyn, Chef Allen thought a slew of gourmet homemade pickles would be a great addition to a melt. Daily Melt will now have the first pickle bar in South Florida with a variety of flavors from a sea-salt and dill to lime-chipotle.
In addition to the Blackboard Specials, Daily Melt has also launched their breakfast service. Stop in for six new, exciting breakfast options ranging from a Maple Bacon Melt to the amazing Nutella French Toast made with fontina cheese. Breakfast will be served seven days a week, 7-11 AM.
By Miami Food Blogger, Samantha Castellanos
