It’s tough to beat great cheese served simply with bread, crackers and accoutrements like seasonal fruit and nuts. But it’s worth going out of your way to enjoy cheese-forward dishes from chefs who do more than just serve Caprese in summer or plop burrata on a plate with some pesto. We’re not just celebrating grilled cheese, cheesecake or mac & cheese, no matter how indulgent or extravagant the preparation. These L.A. cheese dishes stand out as truly unique.
Crispy California Cheese Curds
Vanessa Tilaka and husband Thomas Kalb have turned their multifaceted Old Pasadena business into a destination for everything from impeccably sourced cheese to house-baked breads, sandwiches and a dinner menu that deftly melds Italy, the Midwest and California. Their “snackadoos” are small, share-friendly plates. Crispy California cheese curds ($12) highlight this category at lunch and draw on Kalb’s childhood memories of scoring “squeaky cheese” from an Iowa creamery. At Agnes, they craft crunchy golden nuggets using curds they source from Wm. Cofield in Petaluma, California. Some chunks are round, oval, others oblong and ruptured, all delicious, served with a beguiling, savory sauce. Blue cheese and Caesar dressing blend with spicy seasoning salt made with dehydrated, lacto-fermented Fresno chilies, punchy bread and butter pickled celery, and fresh dill.
Chitarra Cacio e Pepe
Chef Piero Topputo and front of house business partner Mario Sabatini debuted along Santa Monica’s high-end Montana Avenue in 2015 and expanded to Venice’s more casually trendy Main Street in 2020. Forma is one of the “Best Los Angeles Restaurants for Cheese Plates and More.” Pasta dalla forma certainly qualifies as “more.” With this unique preparation, Forma team members toss steaming pasta in huge Italian cheese wheels, accumulating flavor with dramatic flair. Chitarra cacio e pepe ($26) features fresh spaghetti, black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil tossed in a Pecorino Romano well, imparting wonderfully sharp flavor to the pasta.
Grilled Cheese Pork Ribs
Seok Kim and Minsoo Moon debuted their high-energy pork fueled concept in Koreatown in late 2014. Mister Bossam has since expanded to Rowland Heights. Bossam, handheld pork belly wraps, is the house specialty, but vivid LA grilled cheese pork ribs ($48.99) are still well worth noting. Baby back ribs are available mild, spicy or very spicy, served atop beloved Korean-style “corn cheese,” a blend of molten mozzarella cheese and corn kernels, garnished with shaved scallions and pickled jalapeños. The partitioned platter also showcases sliced mushrooms, a fluffy scallion flecked egg moat, sugar-dusted baby potatoes and pineapple. At the end, servers create fried rice, complete with a cracked egg, in the central compartment.
Crispy Provolone
Jame Enoteca’s Venice Beach spinoff from chef/owner/”Top Chef” competitor Jackson Kalb and partner/wife Melissa Saka specializes in pastas and cracker-thin pizzas. Ospi is the couple’s latest triumph, with neon signage that reads, “Feed me pasta & tell me I’m pretty.” Ospi’s crispy Provolone ($16) is just as alluring as linguine and puts mozzarella sticks to shame, with texture and cheese pulls galore. Kalb prepares twin slabs like chicken Parm, showering two large golden breaded discs with Parmesan and parsley, serving with zesty vodka sauce.
Khachapuri
Oui Melrose owner Armen Piskoulian’s repertoire includes burgers, sandwiches, donuts, and Tony Khachapuri, a separate brand that highlights a comfort food from his youth. His boat-shaped Georgian flatbreads ($13-32) feature a tangy, stretchy three-cheese blend and single egg yolk. Toppings range from mushroom & garlic to house-made pastrami and shaved summer truffles. Piskoulian’s refined recipe now incorporates a house sourdough starter to boost flavor and airiness in his puffy, pull-apart dough. He’s also adjusted the size so his khachapuri is a bit smaller and more repeatable than standard khachapuri. Classic khachapuri often features a butter pat on top, but he blends butter with the cheese blend so it’s fully integrated.