When I think of a grilled cheese sandwich, I normally think of a normal, cheddar cheese and bread sandwich grilled on my stove. But at Cheese Louise, grilled cheeses are taken to the next level. With 12 different types of cheesy gourmet subs to choose from, if you’re a grilled cheese lover, there’s really no way you can go wrong.

This diner is located on 400 Vernon Street, right on the corner of a cute little street in downtown Roseville. My seat looked out onto the town square decked out in Christmas decorations and a giant Christmas tree, with people bundled up walking up and down the street.

As I walked through the door of the diner, I was  immediately filled with a retro vibe, but also Christmas cheer. There were velvet couches, lima-bean shaped tables, vibrant red walls, retro seats- an all around 50’s sort of look. While the couches beside the cute decorated Christmas tree looked quite inviting, my mom and I decided to sit in the high stools at the bar to enjoy our food. The overall ambiance was very cheerful. There was Christmas music playing in the background and not too much talking going on, as it was not too busy, so you were free to soak in the happy music and enjoy your food.

While ordering my food, it was clear to me that their service was professional. The server was helpful in picking out what to order. Before we sat down they cleaned our table to make sure it was spotless.

After less than 10 minutes, I received my food: a warm tuna melt sandwich. As I took my first bite of the hot sandwich, my mouth was immediately filled with delicious flavors. The stringy, warm cheddar cheese, the fresh juicy tomatoes, the toasted sourdough bread that was crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle, the delicious tuna with just the right amount of mayonnaise, the tiny pieces of celery in the tuna that gave it that extra flavorful crunch: it all came down to create a sandwich that was the best I had had in awhile.

Of course, I came into the restaurant already being a grilled cheese lover, so if you’re not one of us you might not like your options here. On the menu, they had several very appealing sandwiches, including Southwestern Grilled Chicken, Reuben, Tri-Tip, Pulled Pork, a purely veggie sandwich, Tuscan Grilled Chicken, Salami, Caprese, down to simple melted cheese and sourdough bread sandwich. Along with grilled cheese customers can also get a side of French fries, tater tots, potato salad, chips, fresh side salad or a cup of soup. The menu offered any sandwich along with a side and drink for around $8 — a bit of a higher price than a typical Subway lunch visit, but worth it to me for its high quality.

Seeing as it was a freezing cold day, I ordered a side of potato cream soup and tomato basil soup. While the potato cream soup tasted like it was made straight out of the box and did not meet my standard of creaminess, the tomato basil soup was just right. It was tangy, creamy and the saltines on the side gave it a bit of yummy saltiness. The soups definitely helped to warm me up that frigid afternoon.

While I chowed down on my warm sandwich, the manager stopped by our table to check on how our food was tasting. He explained that he was a fairly new manager at this recently re-opened restaurant; he was still learning. He had lots of things he was hopeful to gain: improvement on the hours (7am to 3pm means that people can’t come in after they get off of work), more business (the diner only had one other customer when we walked in), and better buildings in the area that will attract more customers to come to their diner.

My mom and I wished him luck on trying to gain popularity of his restaurant and improving the things he wanted to accomplish, but assured him that food was definitely not something they were struggling in, for sure.

Overall, the restaurant put out a kind of expensive price in comparison to other sandwich places like Subway (tuna melt, soda, and cup of potato cream and tomato basil soup for $11.45), but their lack of lots of business probably means for the time being they need to keep their prices a little bit higher. It was not too bad though compared to other homestyle American diners in the area.

Cheese Louise turned out to be a successful endeavor. I enjoyed the view outside, the mouth-watering food and the cute and retro decor that gave a bit of a home-ish feel. This diner is most definitely a spot I would go to again, and one that I would encourage others to visit- especially on a chilly day of the cheerful holiday season.

by GRACE MCDONALD