For many, grilled cheese sandwiches are evocative of childhood. Face it, most of us had more than our fair share as kids. Their familiarity makes them comfort food, so they make us feel good, not just full.

It’s hard to beat a gooey, toasty sandwich, but The Cheese Grill downtown is giving it a shot with variations on tradition.

For the most part, it succeeds. Where it falls short is not in execution, but rather in possibilities. Sure, several of the sandwich offerings are creative, but some just aren’t set at a high enough bar.

I don’t want to pay $5.95 for a simple grilled American cheese on sourdough bread. I can do that at home for a lot less. It’s the addition of little things, even those I could replicate on my own, that I want. For example, I don’t mind the extra .50 cents to add caramelized onions or $1.50 for bacon, but I’d like to have more options like tomatoes, pickles or something I’d never thought of when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches. There should also be more variety when it comes to the cheese and bread. There is the Cardiac Arrest ($7.55), with Muenster, cheddar, American and Colby Jack. That’s a lot of cheese and the nuances of each are lost. Instead, I’d like to order a simple sandwich with different breads, cheeses and extras from which to choose to make my own combinations.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the spins on the classic such as the Carnitas and Hatch ($10.55), because I did. Slow-roasted pork with Hatch green chiles are layered between slices of sourdough bread and Colby Jack cheese. I was expecting more heat from the Hatch, and though I liked the pork, it fell short of what I consider carnitas: braised with onions, cumin, coriander and garlic. It was tender, but the spice element was missing. More of the chile might have remedied this.

This same carnitas and Hatch combination makes an appearance in macaroni and cheese ($9.95), which I didn’t try. Instead, the Garden Mac & Cheese ($8.95) was sampled. Not as gooey as the sandwiches, the elbow pasta is coated with Béchamel (white sauce), includes three cheeses (American, Edam and mozzarella) and was loaded with al dente roasted veggies such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and asparagus. The serving was huge, so half was taken home. It, like the sandwiches, comes with fresh-cut, skin-on french fries. It’s a lot of food.

The gooiest was that basic sandwich with threads of cheese that stretched half an arm’s length.

The ambiance suggests The Cheese Grill isn’t quite sure what it wants to be: a bar or a restaurant. Two television sets compete with a blaring radio and bar stools at mostly high-top tables suggest the former, while the menu leans toward the latter. Service is attentive and at the onset it was suggested that if we were in a hurry we should stick to ordering sandwiches since the mac and cheese dishes take a little longer.

In addition to the carnitas and the veggie options, there are four other possibilities for macaroni and cheese. The least appealing to me is the version with hot dog slices with American and cheddar cheeses. I don’t want to be reminded of my childhood that badly.

The sandwich options range from a Grilled French Dip ($10.55) to the Caprese Grilled Cheese ($7.95), with mozzarella, sliced tomato, basil and balsamic vinegar.

The burger ($13.55) sounds far-fetched: two grilled cheese sandwiches with a burger in between. For another $1.95, another burger can be added. I have to admit the Red Apple Grill ($7.55), slices of apple with cheddar on wheat bread, sounds like a great after- school snack.

The only vegan item available is a house salad ($4).

As mentioned, a build-your-own option would be a nice addition to the menu. It’s true too many choices have the potential to wreak havoc in the kitchen, but it’s certainly worth considering. And if I’m eating a grilled cheese sandwich on a wintery day, I’d like a bowl of soup – preferably tomato soup. Now that would truly take me back in time.