10 Flavor Upgrades: But First, Cheese A cheese-centric approach leads to small-plate success

Olive Garden’s oh-so shareable Five Italian Cheese Fonduta melds oven-baked smoked provolone, Parmesan, fontina, mozzarella and Romano.
PHOTO CREDIT: Olive Garden

by Flavor & The Menu Staff | November 8, 2017

When it comes to appetizers, bar bites and small plates for sharing, it’s hard to imagine a more versatile foundational ingredient than cheese. Widely loved, easy to work with, and available in hundreds of different varieties and forms, cheese cuts a wide swath through the opening section of the menu—at virtually every price point and in every service category.

With so many restaurant concepts now focused on casual, approachable, shareable menu items, it’s time to re-examine cheese-centric small plates and communal specialties like fried cheese, fondue, flatbreads and quesadillas, modernizing them for signature inspiration.

Flatbreads and Pizzettes

Pizza has long been the ultimate cheesy shareable, but today’s menus take the traditional pizza idea into more creative bar-bite territory.

Menu Examples

Forestière Flatbread with varietal mushrooms, porcini crema, Gruyère, pecorino, balsamico glaze, truffle-basil oil
– Urbain 40, Orlando, Fla.

Pizzette with Iberico Chorizo, Georgia peach, fontina, Parmesan, arugula and honey
– The National, Athens, Ga.

Try This

Merchandise a mini pizza of the day that takes advantage of seasonal bounty or product overages
Build a global theme around a cheese such as feta, Camembert, Asiago or manchego

Tots

Think of these crispy, retro carriers as a perfect snack for next-level poutine or any other variation on the ever-popular french fry theme. Craveable, poppable and so customizable—cheesy tots are a beautiful thing.

Menu Examples

Dirty Tots: Crispy tater tots, braised short ribs, melted cheese
— Essex Junction Craft Kitchen & Bar, Bloomfield, N.J.
Truffle Parmesan Tots
— Ulysses American Gastropub, Wilmington, Del.

Try This

Stuff tots with cubed cheese and wrap in smoky bacon, then bake and serve with a spicy dipping sauce.
Skewer cooked tots, then “load” with sour cream, cheddar, scallion, jalapeño, and other baked-potato toppings.

Mac and Cheese

The iconic side dish and comfort-food favorite is being menued as a shareable starter with upgraded toppings, mix-ins and presentations.

Menu Examples

Mac & Cheese with rigatoni, arugula, hazelnut spice, Greek Mornay, truffle oil
—Cava Mezze, locations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area
Mac & Cheese Bites: Crisp-fried four-cheese pasta, truffle dip
— Romano’s Macaroni Grill, multiple locations

Try This

Create a mix-and-match mac-and-cheese platform with a variety of ingredients for customization—much like a pizza.
Stuff mushrooms or meatballs with macaroni and cheese for a variation on a classic.

Toasts and Crostini

It doesn’t get much simpler than bread and cheese—but that does not prevent the hugely popular toast, crostini, bruschetta and other bread-based appetizers from serving as a vehicle for all types, from soft cheese superstars like burrata and Brie to emerging players like halloumi and paneer.

Menu Examples

“Grilled Cheese” Toast: Fresh mozzarella, chorizo, cider
—Trademark Taste + Grind, New York
Manchego Crostini with fig and Marcona almond
—Fig & Olive, based in New York

Try This

Top toasts with shredded, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted garlic, red pepper and white cheddar for an on-trend vegetarian offering.
Pair cheeses with eye-catching savory jams, marmalades or chutneys

Mini Cheesy Skillets

Baking cheese in a skillet brings out the best of its gooey, melty, crispy craveability, and also creates a signature presentation for the table.

Menu Examples

Goat Cheese Skillet with bourbon smoked tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, flatbread
—Bourbon Raw, Louisville, Ky.
Five Italian Cheese Fonduta: Oven-baked smoked provolone, Parmesan, fontina, mozzarella and Romano cheeses served with breadstick crostini
—Olive Garden, multiple locations

Try This

Feature a shareable appetizer raclette, such as skillet-melted raclette, or Emmentaler cheese with boiled potatoes, charcuterie and cornichon pickles
Use the skillet format like a fondue, allowing for cross-utilization of different cheeses in an appetizer special.

Fritters and Fried Cheese

Think next-level mozzarella sticks for these craveable bites, with different breadings and batters, complex blends and flavor-loaded dipping sauces on the side.

Menu Examples

Cheese Fritters: Homemade blend of four cheeses and seasonings with homemade honey-Dijon dressing
—Memphis Barbecue Co., based in Southaven, Miss.
Deep Fried Cheese Curds: Beer-battered with a side of red-hot blue cheese
—Vinsetta Garage, Berkley, Mich.

Try This

Try a twist on the familiar dipping sauce, like Sriracha ketchup, chipotle ranch, lemon-dill tartar sauce or kimchi mayonnaise
Add chopped broccoli, corn or another vegetable into a cheese fritter batter for satisfying textural contrast.

Gougères and Puffs

Yes, they’re sort of the same—gougères are classic French cheese puffs made of pâte à choux folded in with cheese (usually Gruyère or Comté) and baked. But the same delicious idea exists in other cultures, from Spain to Germany.

Menu Examples

Gougères: Thyme and Gruyère cheese puffs
—Pair, Seattle
Kartoffel Käseknödel (potato cheese puffs), part of the German Sampler appetizer
—Bavarian Inn Restaurant, Frankenmuth, Mich.

Try This

Experiment with different kinds of cheese, such as ricotta or a blue-veined cheese
Split the finished gougère and tuck in ham, smoked salmon, BLT fixings or roasted vegetables

Dips and Spreads

Cheese-based dips and spreads can go high or low, hot or cold, international or domestic, with crackers or bread or charcuterie. They’re truly the little black dress of appetizer menus.

Menu Examples

Guinness Beer Cheese & Pretzels with sharp cheddar dip
—The Claddagh, Livonia, Mich.
Feta Cheese Dip with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, roasted garlic, Niedlov’s sourdough
—Boathouse, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Try This

Liptauer is an Old-World buttery cheese spread, mixed with paprika, caraway, capers and anchovies, that deserves to be brought back into style
When in doubt, name-check local craft beer, wine or a branded spirit in a signature cheese dip

Quesadillas

A prime example of an ethnic specialty that has mainstreamed far from its Mexican/Tex-Mex roots, today’s quesadillas are much more than tortillas layered with Monterey Jack cheese.

Menu Examples

Kimchi Quesadilla: Melted Jack and cheddar cheese, caramelized, buttered kimchi, topped with salsa roja and sesame seed crush
—Kogi Taqueria, Los Angeles
Short Rib Quesadilla: Slow-braised short rib, caramelized onions and melted cheese all stuffed into a grilled quesadilla and garnished with chipotle ranch dressing
—Old Blind Dog, Atlanta

Try This

Consider amping up the flavor with a finishing drizzle of chimichurri mayo, fiery salsa verde or chile oil
Experiment with carriers above and beyond tortillas, such as flatbread or mu shu-style pancakes.

Surprising One-Offs

It’s safe to say that the sky’s the limit with an ingredient as popular as cheese, leading to all kinds of signature menu interpretations.

Menu Examples

Cheeseburger Eggrolls with ground beef, cheddar, onions and pickles, served with signature sauce
—Applebee’s, multiple locations
Strawberry Fries Forever: Crispy hand-cut fries smothered in Provel-style cheese sauce, topped with fresh strawberries, balsamic glaze and basil crystals
—Say Cheese!, West Reading, Pa.

Try This

Look to a distinctive cheese such as Gorgonzola, Idiazábal or a farmhouse specialty around which to build a signature appetizer
Add cheese where it’s least expected—in gyoza or wontons, for instance, or in an otherwise traditional seafood appetizer

From the Nov/Dec 2017 issue of Flavor & the Menu magazine. Read the full issue online or check if you qualify for a free print subscription.

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