Inflation has affected the prices of almost every consumer product in the US, from eggs to milk. Some restaurants even add an inflation fee to their restaurant bills.
But one high-profile restaurant has capitalized on the rise in nationwide prices by bringing back, for a limited time, what has been dubbed the “most expensive sandwich” in honor of National Grilled Cheese Day.
Serendipity 3 in New York announced via social media that it will be bringing back The Quintessential Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which broke Guinness World Record for the most expensive sandwich in the world in October 2014. Its price is 214 dollars.
The sandwich is intricate and brimming with every detail, starting with two slices of bread made with Dom Pérignon champagne, edible gold flakes and truffle oil.
“The sandwich is filled with thick slices of the rare Caciocavallo Podolico cheese, made in Southern Italy from the milk of the free-range Podolica (grazing) cow, fed on strongly aromatic herbs such as fennel, licorice, juniper, bay laurel, and wild strawberries, infusing the milk with those sweet, aromatic aromas,” the restaurant mused about the filling, noting that there are only about 25,000 of these cows in the world, and they only lactate in May and June.
After that, the sandwich is toasted and dipped in a more edible gold, why not, and then served on a Baccarat crystal plate with South African lobster tomato soup garnished with truffle oil and sour cream.
Serendipity 3 noted that those wishing to stop by for the luxurious delicacy must give 48 hours notice. The restaurant did not specify how long the sandwich would be available during its return.
In a 2017 interview and demonstration of the sandwich to Guinness World Records, Serendipity 3 chef Joe Calderone explained that the original idea for grilled cheese came from trying to come up with a way to celebrate National Sandwich Day.
“We took the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup, upped it a couple of notches and made this incredible sandwich,” he said. “We love food holidays here because they’re fun to celebrate and creative.”
Serendipity 3 is a restaurant known for its signature Frrozen hot chocolate. This eclectic place has been featured in several popular films, including George Clooney’s 1996 hit One Fine Day and 2011’s Serendipity.
Restaurant reopened to the public in July 2021 after renovations and closures amid the pandemic.