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10 Amazing Seattle Cheese Dishes You Have To Eat Now

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Seek out cheese on menus around town and you'll be struck by plenty of cheese plates, a bazillion burratas, and more milky bits than you can shake a Lactaid at. But when it comes to finding the truly memorable cheese-centric dishes that you just have to have, these ten really stand out.

Editor's Note: No cheese plates or traditional mac 'n cheeses were included, and we left most pizzas on another list. To qualify, dishes had to be centered around cheese rather than just include it. Want to see more cheese dishes in your Eater future? Hit the comments and tell us!

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Big Mario's Pizza

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Mac n Cheese Pizza: Noon or night, the pizzas are creative and consistent. And whether you walk up or eat in the adjoining bar, you should definitely swing by on a Monday. That's when Macaroni Monday happens, with cheesy pizzas cooked with cheesy mac n cheese plopped on top. The concoction is always available to order whole, by the way.

[Photo Credit]

Cafe Munir

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Farmer’s Cheese Appetizer: The entire menu at Munir is lovely, but whenever they feature their crumbly, salty farmer's cheese, it’s a must get. You’ll often find it served with an intensely concentrated tomato sauce and roasted eggplant, or presented with wine-marinated cippolini onions. The preparation varies with the season and the chef’s whim, but its “must” status stays the same.

[Photo Credit]

Kraken Congee

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Hood Famous Bakeshop's Ube Cheesecake: Never has there been a more delicious purple food. The creamy small serving dessert features ube, a purple yam that keeps its bright hue vivid and its sweet, earthy flavor in the final product. You can find it at Uwajimaya, on the menu at Kraken Congee, or delivered on Lish.

[Photo Credit]

Haloumi Cheese Skewers: Tom Douglas’s downtown restaurant didn’t invent kebabs, but their full range of the stacked skewers are the best in town. The most appealing of the bunch is the haloumi and kalamata fig, with squeaky, chewy textures in shareable portions.

[Photo Credit]

Omega Ouzeri

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Halloumi: The beautiful Greek restaurant on Capitol Hill grills up this lovely little Cypriot cheese to give it a warm softness with a sharp stone fruit pesto and a drizzle of petimezi. The combination of the grape molasses, seasonal fruit, and grillable cheese is almost as delightful as a vacation to Greece. Well, almost.

[Photo Credit]

Stoneburner

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Burrata Sandwich : Sometimes served with kale, sometimes with seasonal heirloom tomatoes (like right now), the brunch sandwich is a gooey, rich delight served on chickpea cakes. It’s vegetarian, too, which is kind of beside the point of something this craveable.

[Photo Credit]

Tavolàta

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Burrata with Pan-Seared Padrons and Grilled Peaches: Summer isn’t over until Stowell says it is, or at least until the last of the stone fruits have left the building. But before that, you must get to the Belltown restaurant for this meal starter that’s finished with lemon and extra virgin olive oil. This prep won’t last long, with seasonal ingredients, but if you don’t see it on the menu, chances are there’s another delightful burrata dish to dive into. Stowell promises that Rione XIII and Tavolata have a burrata appetizer on the menu 95% of the time.

[Photo Credit]

The 5 Point Cafe

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Fried Jalapeño & Bacon Mac n Cheese Balls: If your cheese craving strikes late night, hop the nearest ride to 5 Point and order up a plate of these puppies. Jalapeños and bacon and cheese... And they're fried? Uh, order your own cuz we're not sharing.

[Photo Credit]

The Boar's Nest

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Fried Mac and Cheese Balls:Macaroni and cheese is usually a pretty great idea, whether it comes from a box or the highest end restaurant. Resting somewhere in the middle of those two extremes lies the Ballard BBQ joint’s most appealing appetizer. Handfuls of mac n cheese are deep fried for a crunchy exterior and a molten interior of creamy macaroni goodness. Yes to this.

[Photo Credit]

The Gerald

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Fried Cheese Curds with Sauce Duo: If we could pick one addictive snack to eat forever, it might just be fried cheese curds. All the appeal of a dive bar fried mozzarella stick, but more easily and flavorfully executable, these stretchy, crunchy, chewy morsels are especially nice at the Ballard bar. There, they serve them with a duo of sauces: Sriracha-infused ketchup and whole grain mustard aioli. And if you really want to get your cheese on, order the poutine (made with fresh cheese curds), and toss these babies on there. We’re as serious as a heart attack. (Psst, both are on the happy hour menu.)

[Photo Credit]

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Big Mario's Pizza

Mac n Cheese Pizza: Noon or night, the pizzas are creative and consistent. And whether you walk up or eat in the adjoining bar, you should definitely swing by on a Monday. That's when Macaroni Monday happens, with cheesy pizzas cooked with cheesy mac n cheese plopped on top. The concoction is always available to order whole, by the way.

[Photo Credit]

Cafe Munir

Farmer’s Cheese Appetizer: The entire menu at Munir is lovely, but whenever they feature their crumbly, salty farmer's cheese, it’s a must get. You’ll often find it served with an intensely concentrated tomato sauce and roasted eggplant, or presented with wine-marinated cippolini onions. The preparation varies with the season and the chef’s whim, but its “must” status stays the same.

[Photo Credit]

Kraken Congee

Hood Famous Bakeshop's Ube Cheesecake: Never has there been a more delicious purple food. The creamy small serving dessert features ube, a purple yam that keeps its bright hue vivid and its sweet, earthy flavor in the final product. You can find it at Uwajimaya, on the menu at Kraken Congee, or delivered on Lish.

[Photo Credit]

Lola

Haloumi Cheese Skewers: Tom Douglas’s downtown restaurant didn’t invent kebabs, but their full range of the stacked skewers are the best in town. The most appealing of the bunch is the haloumi and kalamata fig, with squeaky, chewy textures in shareable portions.

[Photo Credit]

Omega Ouzeri

Halloumi: The beautiful Greek restaurant on Capitol Hill grills up this lovely little Cypriot cheese to give it a warm softness with a sharp stone fruit pesto and a drizzle of petimezi. The combination of the grape molasses, seasonal fruit, and grillable cheese is almost as delightful as a vacation to Greece. Well, almost.

[Photo Credit]

Stoneburner

Burrata Sandwich : Sometimes served with kale, sometimes with seasonal heirloom tomatoes (like right now), the brunch sandwich is a gooey, rich delight served on chickpea cakes. It’s vegetarian, too, which is kind of beside the point of something this craveable.

[Photo Credit]

Tavolàta

Burrata with Pan-Seared Padrons and Grilled Peaches: Summer isn’t over until Stowell says it is, or at least until the last of the stone fruits have left the building. But before that, you must get to the Belltown restaurant for this meal starter that’s finished with lemon and extra virgin olive oil. This prep won’t last long, with seasonal ingredients, but if you don’t see it on the menu, chances are there’s another delightful burrata dish to dive into. Stowell promises that Rione XIII and Tavolata have a burrata appetizer on the menu 95% of the time.

[Photo Credit]

The 5 Point Cafe

Fried Jalapeño & Bacon Mac n Cheese Balls: If your cheese craving strikes late night, hop the nearest ride to 5 Point and order up a plate of these puppies. Jalapeños and bacon and cheese... And they're fried? Uh, order your own cuz we're not sharing.

[Photo Credit]

The Boar's Nest

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls:Macaroni and cheese is usually a pretty great idea, whether it comes from a box or the highest end restaurant. Resting somewhere in the middle of those two extremes lies the Ballard BBQ joint’s most appealing appetizer. Handfuls of mac n cheese are deep fried for a crunchy exterior and a molten interior of creamy macaroni goodness. Yes to this.

[Photo Credit]

The Gerald

Fried Cheese Curds with Sauce Duo: If we could pick one addictive snack to eat forever, it might just be fried cheese curds. All the appeal of a dive bar fried mozzarella stick, but more easily and flavorfully executable, these stretchy, crunchy, chewy morsels are especially nice at the Ballard bar. There, they serve them with a duo of sauces: Sriracha-infused ketchup and whole grain mustard aioli. And if you really want to get your cheese on, order the poutine (made with fresh cheese curds), and toss these babies on there. We’re as serious as a heart attack. (Psst, both are on the happy hour menu.)

[Photo Credit]

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