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By Richard S. Dargan

For the Journal

Grilled cheese sandwich lovers, rejoice.

Say Cheese, the restaurant that opened in December a few blocks north of Downtown, is devoted to these comfort food classics. The menu offers seven sandwiches, plus periodic specials and, of course, tomato soup.

While Say Cheese is not the first grilled cheese place in the city, it arrives here with an impressive pedigree.

Owner Nicolette Quesada launched Say Cheese early last year in a strip mall on the main drag of Bosque Farms, a village of about 4,000 people that hugs the river south of Isleta Pueblo. The restaurant quickly became a destination and a hangout, offering karaoke nights, cookie decorating and other events, and providing free food to teens and children whose families’ SNAP benefits were delayed.

The success of the original inspired Quesada to expand to Albuquerque, and she found a good spot on the Fusion campus on First Street, just south of Lomas Boulevard. The campus consists of a couple of long, narrow buildings that back up to the railroad tracks and house The Cell theater, art galleries and performance spaces.

Say Cheese is located at the front of the complex in a building that was previously home to Novel Point Coffee. There’s a small patio in front and a free parking lot on the north side of the building.

Inside is a high-ceilinged box brightened with outside light. Cheese graters hang from the ceiling, and a colorful mural of cartoon cheeses decorates one wall. The dining room holds a handful of two-topped tables.

I visited on a weekday as the lunch hour was winding down. The cheerful Quesada was there with one other staffer. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought out when ready.

The menu’s seven different sandwiches, made with either sourdough or sweeter, richer brioche bread, present wide variations in flavor, heft and texture.

For example, jalapeño peppers give a charge to the Popper Like It’s Hot ($9), while the mix of provolone cheese, pepperoni, salami and sundried tomato pesto in the Mama Mia Melt ($9) evoke Mediterranean cuisine. Purists will enjoy the Cheese Trinity ($9) that combines havarti, Gouda and cheddar cheese on brioche bread.

I got a couple of sandwiches to eat at the restaurant and a couple to go. Sandwiches are served on a wooden board emblazoned with the restaurant’s logo.

In the Oink & Cheese ($9), two buttery, crisp slices of sourdough bread held a messy core of crispy onion strings, Gouda cheese, bacon and bacon jam. Each bite brought a hit of smoke and salt from the bacon and a sweet finish from the jam, and the crunch of the onion strings will appeal to people who like putting potato chips in their sandwiches.

Even better was the NM Heatwave ($9) with cheddar cheese, green chile and a choice of ham or turkey on sourdough. I got mine with ham. The ingredients were well-balanced and the chile spiced up the end of the bite.

Along with the sandwich came a mug of Tomato Soup ($4). The soup was thick, piping hot and brimming with tomato flavor. It’s a must for dipping the sandwiches in, as its acidic tang cuts their buttery richness. The other soup on the menu is Bacon Baked Potato Soup ($4).

Parmesan Chips ($1), another side dish, arrived stacked in a mug. The chips are made in-house from shredded cheese marinated overnight and then cooked on the grill to a deep brown. Much better than the stuff in the grocery store, with crisp edges, a chewy center and a nutty flavor. Like the sandwiches, these pair well with the tomato soup.

The two to-go sandwiches I ordered were wrapped in yellow paper and helpfully labeled with stickers. My favorite was the Mac Daddy Melt ($10), with the two pieces of crisp sourdough providing textural contrast to the generous pile of al dente elbow macaroni. The mac and cheese was particularly good, with bacon and green chile adding spikes of flavor to the creamy, havarti-based sauce.

The Berry Cheesy Affair ($9), my other to-go sandwich, was like something assembled from Thanksgiving leftovers. Havarti cheese was melted over thin-sliced turkey and layers of cranberry sauce and cream cheese. The use of brioche bread tilted it more to the sweet side.

Besides the Parmesan chips and the soups, other sides include Mac-n-Cheese ($4), Tater Tots ($4) and Fried Cheese Curds ($6).

Cheesecake Bites ($6), the one dessert on the menu, are worth checking out. The nine golf ball-sized servings are divided between three different coatings: Oreo cookie, birthday sprinkles and graham crackers. The cheesecake was smooth, silky and tangy, and the coatings made the bites easy to eat by hand.

Service was friendly and the food was ready in about 10 minutes. There are no gluten-free sandwiches, but Quesada told me that she plans on adding some to the menu soon.

Also of note: Say Cheese is adding a breakfast menu that will be available from opening until 10 a.m. The breakfast menu was in the works at the time of my visit, so check with the restaurant for more information.

Say Cheese’s thoughtfully curated menu showcases the possibilities of America’s favorite comfort sandwich. It’s a testament to the creativity and energy of Quesada.