Chef's Dish Archives | culture: the word on cheese

A Chef from Amsterdam Redefines Southern Cooking in Alabama

Mallory Scyphers — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:34:00 +0000

In Fairhope, Alabama, food and community are inseparable. Along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, a rare early morning phenomenon known as a jubilee brings flounder, crab, and shrimp rushing to the shallows. This spectacle occurs in only two bodies of water in the world: Mobile Bay and Tokyo Bay. In coastal Alabama, neighbors once rang bells and knocked on doors to rouse each other, gathering at the water’s edge to share in the bay’s sudden bounty. That same spirit of resourcefulness and connection can be found at The Hope Farm, a modern and sustainable farm-to-table restaurant that draws from a web of local growing methods to bring fresh food to its tables. Both jubilees and The Hope Farm honor what the land provides and turn it into something worth gathering around, a philosophy mirrored by the restaurant’s newly promoted chef, Emily Ackerman.

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Have It Her Way: The Precise-Yet-Playful Cheeseburger at Philadelphia’s Roxanne

Alana Pedalino — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:16:44 +0000

At Alexandra Holt’s utterly singular restaurant, save room for a thoughtfully composed cheeseburger—on the dessert menu If you’re craving something sweet to end your meal, Holt’s unconventional dessert cheeseburger is accompanied by an ice cream sundae. Photographed by Paul Bartholomew. Alexandra Holt is known for doing things her way. After burning out on toxic masculinity […]

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Ricotta Gnocchi with Lemon Butter and Caviar

Madison Trapkin — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:26:49 +0000

The key to making Chef Karen Akunowicz’s pillowy gnocchi from scratch is to start with relatively dry ricotta—if it seems too wet, drain with a cheesecloth to remove moisture. When adding the flour, be sure to go slow and fold it in gently. This recipe makes more gnocchi than you will need; fresh gnocchi can […]

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Italian Cheese is on Full Display at Fox & The Knife

Madison Trapkin — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:49:57 +0000

Karen Akunowicz brings a taste of Italy to South Boston at her two award-winning restaurants Karen Akunowicz is serious about pasta. Her obsession started where many stories about falling in love with food start: in Italy. After a college-era visit to a friend’s distant relatives in the Piedmont region, she was hooked on Italy’s food […]

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Japan Meets the American South at Kata Robata

Alexandria Jack — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 05:44:48 +0000

Fusing Flavor: Houston’s Kata Robata mixes traditional Japanese elements with cheesy southern flair. Cheese may not be the first ingredient you think of when it comes to Japanese cuisine. However, at Kata Robata, cheese seamlessly marries Japanese ingredients and the comforting flavors of Houston. Led by four-time James Beard Award–nominee chef Manabu “Hori” Horiuchi, Kata […]

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Kata Robata Miso Lobster Mac and Cheese

Alana Pedalino — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 05:07:44 +0000

Chef Hori conceptualized Kata Robata as an ambitious restaurant that fuses tradition with modern technique. His take on the Southern classic combines comforting cheesy flavor with miso paste and lobster for an umami-packed dish that wows. Chef Hori conceptualized Kata Robata as an ambitious restaurant that fuses tradition with modern technique. His take on the […]

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Bimi’s Canteen: A Cheese Lover’s Haven In Upstate New York

Stephanie Skinner — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:08:47 +0000

A BREEZY, RURAL RESTAURANT IN CHATHAM, NEW YORK, WITH A TOUCH OF THE BIG CITY Bimi’s Canteen in Chatham, NY. Photo credit Christian Harder Photography. The aesthetic at Bimi’s Canteen and Bar is an eclectic mix of grand yet sparse, beautifully lit for comfort and clarity. This is hardly surprising considering the owners are Ellen […]

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More Than Khachapuri: Explore Georgian Cuisine at this NYC Restaurant

Alana Pedalino — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000

If you’re at all tuned into cheese media, you’ve likely encountered mesmerizing images of khachapuri, a traditional Georgian bread bowl baked with a luscious filling of cheese. Dotted with cubes of butter and an egg yolk and mixed tableside to create molten cheese ribbons, khachapuri “puts on its own show,” says Tamara Chubinidze, owner of Manhattan’s Georgian restaurant Chama Mama. “It’s very Instagrammable.”

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Only in Your State: A North Carolina Cheese Shop Offers Speakeasy-style Dinners

Alana Pedalino — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 15:45:02 +0000

A European wine and cheese bar in the small town of Carrboro, North Carolina? Absolutely. Michelle and Stevie Webb are “cheese entrepreneurs." Unsurprisingly, their series of “Speakcheesy” dinners in a speakeasy bar consistently sells out.

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Top Chef Finalist Dan Jacobs Shares His Favorite Cheeses to Cook With

Josie Krogh — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:08:46 +0000

Top Chef Season 21 contestant Dan Jacobs shares his favorite Wisconsin cheeses—and a recipe for how to make one!

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