ABOUT
When combining Jason Sobocinski’s love for grilling and cheese with Tom Sobocinski’s love for vehicles, you get Crispy Melty (formerly The Cheese Truck). Add in Chris McMahon’s 20+ years of F&B and financial experience, we are ready to rock! Crispy Melty brings Caseus to the streets, offering a mix of vegetarian soups, mouth watering sandwiches, and delicious treats.
The Cheese Truck first hit the streets in 2010 after the brothers purchased a used food truck on Craigslist. The truck was a quick success around downtown New Haven, festivals, and many private events. After 5 years on the road it was time to update the truck. In 2015 the brothers purchased an aluminum box truck and started designing and building their own custom box truck. After a paint job from cousin Angelo and some help from Leo the electrician the truck was ready to roll (and a health inspection of course!). The new truck was customized with a 60 inch griddle for rolling out #CRISPYMELTY sandwiches all day.
In 2020 we added a trailer to the mix for vending at more permanent venues while the truck would continue to rock catering jobs – at this time we decided it was time for a face lift and we officially changed our name to CRISPY MELTY by Caseus. On a fateful full moon of Halloween, 2020 reared its ugly head once again. Our beloved yellow box truck was involved in a fire in our storage warehouse and it sadly didn’t survive. But cheese lovers can rejoice; we continue to make awesome #CrispyMelty in our new trailers and a new and improved yellow truck. Cheers!
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WHO WE ARE
They say it takes a village… well, its all about food and family to raise a great grilled cheese. We are 3 cheese lovers that have come together to create a boutique food truck with amazing grilled cheese and so much more. Each of us bring a specific nuance to the business.
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Owner/Partner
Jason was born and raised in New Haven, CT. Jason attended Providence College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and minored in film. After a 8 month trek through Australia and a failed attempt at a desk job Jason moved back to New Haven and began catering and taking a heavy interest in his favorite subject; food with a story behind it. Cheese naturally was his focus and passion. What else could be so delicious in its natural state and then elevated to new level when melted!?
After working in restaurants as everything from a waiter to a baker, cook and manager, Jason decided to continue his education in food by attending Boston University where he pursued a Master’s degree in Gastronomy. During his time in Boston he worked for the prestigious Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge learning about cheese, its roots in culture and its rich stories.
When he moved back to New Haven he opened his own cheese shop with adjoining restaurant, Caseus Fromagerie Bistro. Jason supports sustainable farming by purveying local produce and naturally raised meats. He excels at searching out the best American and International cheeses and holding educational classes and dinners all to bolster his quest of a continuing edible education. Jason hopes to increase everyone’s relationship with their food and enhance their experience through a fun approach to products deemed “fancy” by stripping them of all contentions and mystery.
In 2011 Jason starred in the Cooking Channel show The Big Cheese and continues to work with the Cooking Channel on cheese specials. His cookbook The Caseus Fromagerie Bisto Cook Book came out in 2010 and has sold all over the country. Jason’s newest projects – Black Hog Brewing, Olmo, and The Stack – introduces his loves of BEER and BBQ into the mix. Jason lives in Hamden with his 3 children, a lovely wife who supports his many endeavors while working full time as a teacher, and a large dog named Brisket. He loves riding motorcycles, cooking for his friends and family and telling the cheese stories.
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Owner / Partner
Tom joined brother Jason Sobocinski in 2009 when he decided to spend a summer working at Caseus Fromagerie Bistro in New Haven. After the summer Tom decided he loved the business and the different facets it entailed and he wanted to sign on full time. The two decided to start The Cheese Truck together, which quickly became the top food truck in New Haven. In 2012 Tom and Jason were looking for another project and stumbled upon the old Richter’s Bar. After months of planning and restoration, Ordinary opened in April of 2013. Ordinary focuses on fine wines, craft beer, and specialty cocktails along side a selection of charcuterie and cheese. In 2014, Tom Co-founded Black Hog Brewing Company in Oxford, CT where he handles sales, distribution, and brewery operations.
Tom lives in Hamden with his wife and his dogs named after his favorite cheeses, Beemster and Camembert! He loves motorcycles, mountain biking, boating, and fishing in his free time. Tom finds the restaurant/beer business to be very intriguing because he is able to use a large array of skills and no two days are ever alike. How could it get any better? Throw beer, friends, and family into the mix!
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Owner / Partner
Chris joined the brothers Sobocinski and their vision of amazing grilled cheese in 2020. Chris brings 20+ years of hospitably experience to the already established Caseus name.
Chris learned to make a roux before he could tie his shoes. Food has alway been in his family. His great grandmother was an immigrant chef working for the likes of The Waldorf Astoria and The Plaza in NYC. His mother carried that culinary torch and nurtured his love of food, teaching him what would end up being a baseline for his career. Growing up in a tiny town outside of Princeton, NJ, with two sisters, the dinner table was always Chris’s happy place. That sense of family and how food speaks to generations is inspiration of how Chris found himself with Caseus.
After spending the better part of a decade in financial sales in New York and Connecticut, Chris decided he should get back to what he knows best… GOOD FOOD! Most recently he spent four+ years at the award winning Prime 16 Tap House & Burgers in Orange, CT. Chris developed Prime 16’s BBQ program and continues love Texas BBQ and #crispymelty grilled cheese.
Other than slinging grilled cheese’s, Chris loves to cook for his amazing wife, Becky, and then watch her do the dishes thereafter.
