Food dreams come in all shapes and sizes....

Graeme Smith graduated from Liaison College Hamilton in 2009.
photo courtesy of Terry Asma, 2020studios

Gorilla Cheese was not the first food truck business in Hamilton, but owners Graeme Smith and Scott Austin might have been the first to announce their ever-changing location on Facebook and Twitter. It’s this urban-savvy marketing combined with their innovative curbside menu that attracts great crowds wherever they set up shop.  

The inspiration for Gorilla Cheese’s gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches took flight while Graeme was studying at Liaison College Hamilton.

“Originally I developed the project as a restaurant,” he recalls. After graduation, he was ready to follow through with his plan until his long-time friend got him thinking outside the box. “Scott came up with the idea of a food truck. We started researching the same day. I had no idea until then that they were such a massive trend in the United States.” 

Gorilla Cheese’s popularity is no accident. With a small crew of employees they work long hours in a hot truck, producing comfort food with a twist. Who would have thought a grilled cheese sandwich could create such buzz? By adding things like bacon, apples and maple syrup (the Lumberjack), or turkey, pear and cranberry sauce (Quirky Turkey) to the requisite cheese and bread, they have elevated the status of North American street food to a new level.

After just one year in business, the demand for their portable menu has outstripped their one-truck capability. “It kills me to turn down so many functions,” says Graeme. Their second truck is on order, and should hit the streets in late 2012. “Another truck will let us travel out of town, or be in two places at once in Hamilton.”

That’s great news for fans who check their phones before deciding on lunch, and for the rest of the Golden Horseshoe hungry for a twist on tradition.

You can follow the Gorilla Cheese schedule or check out their imaginative menu at http://gorillacheese.wordpress.com

Twitter: @gorilla_cheese

There's always a crowd waiting in line for Gorilla Cheese's
gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

A modern day Portuguese adventurer

In the Liaison kitchen
for Chef's Table.

Nuno Cordeiro sits in the foyer at Liaison, pouring over the ads on the job board. He zeros in on positions with Fairmont Hotels – a chance to travel and work in Dubai, Beijing, maybe even Hawaii.

Nuno at a recent burger challenge. 

He was born and raised in the Azores, the Portuguese archipelago known for its surf, sun, volcanic landscape and laid back way of life. Make no mistake though, this ambitious 26-year-old is no slouch. His life in Ribeira Grande on the main island of San Miguel was an active one; working in adventure tourism, skippering on a whale-watching boat and leading back-country hikes and jeep tours.

It was adventure, as well, that brought Nuno to Canada, with hopes of becoming a commercial pilot. A change of heart brought him to Liaison to follow his passion for great food instead.

“I could have studied in this field in Portugal,” he admits, “but I would only be learning the basics of European cuisine.” It is the multicultural influence in Canada that he finds most appealing. “When I talk to people from other countries, they are using the same ingredients, but in a thousand different ways.”

Starting an hors d'oeuvres test at the pasta machine.

Nuno will graduate from the Chef de Cuisine program in August. Over the next few years he plans to travel and work, gathering different perspectives. He is looking forward to gaining a broad range of experience before deciding where he will eventually open his own establishment.