Favorites: Dutch & Company’s “Cheese”

The menu at Dutch & Company calls the dish “Cheese” ($10), but it’s a parade of supporting flavors that bring out the nuances of its main ingredient. This appetizer is a beautiful arrangement of apple, spätzle (a sort of Teutonic egg noodle), smoked duck lardons, escarole, date puree, and cheese sauce, all centered around the star ingredient: slices of Cabot cloth-bound cheddar. Each bite highlights the vegetal, salty, and fruity flavors of the cheese. You might hesitate to disturb the careful presentation, but you’ll get over it after the first taste.

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