The Whey Station Grilled Cheese Truck in Middletown

Jill Moskites works the grill while her husband, Josh, takes lunch orders from a hungry crowd.  It’s a cold Wednesday afternoon in October, perfect for what The Whey Station is serving up -- gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hearty, “truckmade” soups and specialty hot dogs.  Fortunately for all of us, The Whey Station is the newest local addition to the handful of food trucks hitting the streets.

It’s a new endeavor for the Moskites, who until recently were familiar faces at their family’s gourmet foods shop, The Wild Raspberry in Cromwell, and together they have about 19 years restaurant and specialty foods experience.

In April, they set out on their own in a renovated food truck more than three decades old.  Every day, Jill makes “everything but the mustard,” or more specifically, the french onion confit, apple bacon chutney and fig onion jam that make their take on grilled cheese worth finding them on the map.  They’re even smoking their own tomatoes and pulled pork.  What they don’t make, they source locally through partnerships with George Hall Farm in Simsbury and Fabled Foods from Deep River for their bread, an artisan white with a sourdough base.

On today’s menu are two velvety bisques – Smoked Tomato topped with homemade pesto and Roasted Sweet Potato.  Both are thick enough to stand a spoon and are perfect accompaniments to the five sandwiches on the menu, which combine Jill’s homemade toppings with melted cheddar, brie, local mozzarella, crispy proscuitto and bacon.   

They’ll wrap up lunch service mid-afternoon, so today is one of their early days.  Most often, you can find The Whey Station parked in Middletown from 10 at night to 2 in the morning catering to growing fan base of Wesleyan students.  Yes, they’ll make you one of their most popular sandwiches, the Vermonter (with cheddar cheese and apple bacon chutney) at 2 am.  And for that, the world is a better place.

What’s next for the truck?  They’re hoping to make room for a two-burner stove so they can add their spin on mac ‘n cheese to the menu.  

Usually, you can find The Whey Station parked on William Street in Middletown from Thursday through Saturday night until around 2 am.  They’re also parking at 536 Saybrook Road in Middletown for lunch on Wednesdays.  But they’re a truck, so you never know where they might pop up.  That’s why they post their location at facebook.com/thewheystation and on twitter @wheystation. 

For a full look at their menu, go to www.curdsonwheels.com.

[Photography courtesy of Christina Venturini / Blue Pear Photography]