"let's stop there on the way back down"

Aw and I took a weekend warrior's trip to the snow this weekend and without making a point to sample sandwiches, actually ended up eating a fair amount of 'em!

This fancy striped cheezie goodness became a goal for the end of the trip. While driving on the CA-120, we passed through Oakdale, CA. As a kid I remember stopping at a park in Oakdale and eating out pre-packed lunches and taking awhile to run around before continuing on, yet, we never stopped anywhere else. I told Aw before we left the city that he would likely have to accommodate my whims and make stops when I wanted - thank goodness we ended up wanting to go to the same places! Anywho, I digress... On the way to our destination we drove by a cheese making, gift shop, farm-petting zoo, lunch spot, Oakdale Cheese & Specialties. At the time, however, we were anything but hungry after having finished sandwiches procured in the city, so we promised to not fill up before returning in order to test out this spot.

Walking into a small gift shop, we saw a woman at the counter with a hoard of people sampling gouda cheese. We ordered, she stepped into a room tucked in the far corner with a sign reading "bakery," and a few moments later she returned with our grilled cheese sandwiches (Aw asked for ham on his while mine was straight up cheezie goodness).

After finding a decent pick-nick table in the sun we chomped down. The flavor and texture of fluffy sliced sourdough crisped with melted butter on the outside and held together with gooey sweet gouda satisfied every taste bud with simple childhood comfort.

Now, I would be remiss in my sandwich journalist duties if I did not admit Aw and I shared, he had half of mine and vise-versa. The addition of ham put a bit of a damper on relishing childhood simplicity. All I could think about was what else I could add, and soon the sandwich I was creating in my head became as complicated as adulthood.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend making a point to stop at Oakdale Cheese & Specialties if you ever find yourself driving on the 120.