The Best Grilled Cheese You'll Have On Governors Island This Summer

Visit Governors Island this summer and you'll get 30 newly developed acres just beyond Admirals Row, and one other new addition: Snowday, a rustic-looking food truck with a wildly appealing menu—lots of pork, cheese, and maple syrup—prepared entirely by a crew of formerly incarcerated youths.

All of Snowday's young men and women did time in adult prisons and jails when they were only 16 and 17 years old (as required by New York state law); all of them are now working their way through this training, re-entry, and empowerment program via Drive Change. We first heard about Snowday, Drive Change, and the organization's founder Jordyn Lexton last fall, but the truck itself didn't get out onto the road, doing events here and there, until early this April. Now they've landed a prime spot in the suddenly-overflowing Governors Island "food court" on King's Avenue, where they'll be on Saturdays and Sundays, every weekend, all summer long!

Snowday serves up some excellent fare—for example, $10 will get you a terrific Maple Cheddar Grilled Sandwich—cooked to crunchy/chewy/oozy perfection—and a generous side of Fried Brussels Sprouts: crisp, caramelized leaves, topped with chunks of maple bacon, tart apple, parsley, celery, and served with a side of thick maple remoulade dipping sauce.

If Snowday takes off, Lexton and Drive Change plan on adding more trucks, and hiring/training more former inmates to build out their fleet. And it's not just food prep being taught here—Drive Change employees work on marketing, accounting and social media. The goal of Drive Change is to lower the recidivism rate within this extremely high-risk population from the current 70% down to 20%, or even less. To reach that goal, all we have to do is eat a bunch of really great sandwiches... and their Sugar On Snow desserts (hot maple syrup poured over snow)! According to Twitter, tonight they'll be serving in DUMBO.

Snowday will be on Governors Island, parked at the main food court on King's Avenue, every weekend, through the summer. Find their full schedule here.