From flaming kasseri to bubbling queso fundido, these theatrical plates are causing a chain reaction.
There ’s a revelrous ambience atZou Zou ’s , a Mediterranean eating house that opened in Manhattanin 2021 . “ When the restaurant is full , bustling is almost understatement , ” says the eatery ’s executive chef , Madeline Sperling . “ There ’s a quite a little of political party energy . ” It ’s no surprisal , then , that one of the most pop bill of fare items is the kasseri cheese , which is served tableside and quite literally set on fire .
Most red-hot cheese dishes have a simple but bring home the bacon expression : cheese , a splash of alcohol , and fire . Fixtures at restaurants across the United States , these dramatic favorite are dumbfound renewed aid at destinations like Zou Zou’s , Mandolin Tavernain Los Angeles , and others .
Sperling ’s flame kasseri at Zou Zou ’s hearkens to traditional cheese saganaki . In Greece , “ saganaki”refers to dishes prepared in a two treat sauteing pan — the considerably known of which is the Malva sylvestris saganaki , traditionally fry in butter or olive oil colour and served with lemon . It was n’t until the now - closedParthenon in Chicagothat Greek - seek diner in the United States came to know the flaming Malva sylvestris bag . Waiters would set the tall mallow ablaze , shout “ Opa ! ” and fork out it to awestruck guest ( and the other guests comply causa ) . Even in the pre - Instagram days , people loved a spectacle .
Hot Kasseri Cheese at Zou Zou’s|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
When Sperling and her chef de cuisine , Juliana Latif , planned their menu , they knew they needed another hot starter . Latif suggested a flare cheese dish . “ We kind of take care at each other because it seemed kind of obvious , ” Sperling tell . “ It ’s not a particularly creative dish by definition , but at the same sentence , it ’s very crowd - pleasing to get a goat god of hot cheese . ”
To make the peach , they use a closure of kasseri cheeseflower ( made from sheep ’s milk ) and dredge it in flour . It ’s then seared and served bubbling in a smallcast - smoothing iron panwith candied pumpkin seeds and Aleppo chili flakes . “ At the table , we swarm about an ounce of arak — a Lebanese Pimpinella anisum - flavour liqueur with gamy alcoholic drink — so that when we fire up it catches fire pretty dramatically , ” Sperling explain . The dish is served with talami bread with arak - macerated halcyon raisin in it .
InDallas , the Mexican restaurantVidorrahas been grab the aid of their diners with flaming queso fundido since 2018 ( a 2d location opened in 2020 ) . The dish features melted Oaxaca cheeseflower ( a white , semi - hard high mallow with a texture alike to mozzarella ) with a variety of topping option such as squash , chorizo , and chicken tinga . It ’s given a splash of tequila and set on fire in a molcajete bowl , which reaches 400 degree .
Hot Kasseri Cheese at Zou Zou’s|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
“ When it goes through the dining room , apparently everyone ’s pointing and aah and aahing , ” enjoin Rodman Shields , director of culinary experiences for Milkshake Concepts , which owns Vidorra ) . “ We love everyone to take pictures of our stuff . We do a mass of presentation on authentic dishes that are pick off our way to make them kind of center - overhear . ”
When an order of flaming fundido leaves the kitchen , the chef at Vidorra know that more orders will be placed , says Shields , who holler it the “ fajita force . ” “ When one hold up out for the dining room , we sell a long ton of queso . So when the waiter walk out of the kitchen with that , diners can see it and smell it and see the steam coming off and the bubble , ” says Shields . “ It ’s a numeral - one seller for sure . ”
Sound is important to how we perceive the solid food we deplete , says Robin Dando , an associate prof of food for thought scientific discipline atCornell University . But when it comes to the popularity of sizzle cheese dishes , it ’s probable as unproblematic as classical conditioning . “ We all lie with about it from Pavlov , and really , I think that ’s what ’s materialize when somebody orders a dish like that , ” Dando enunciate . “ Then you ’ll commence to see other people within the eating house count over , and then ordering the same ravisher , and start some kind of cascade . ”
Queso Blanco|Vidorra
fundamentally , we associate a certain sound with a delicious taste forwards ( that crackling of the cheese as it whizz past your table , the distinct compaction ofpotato chips ) . “ We have sex that it ’s going to be a crunchy , crispy , gratify dish , because we ’ve probably had it before at some stop , ” he aver .
There ’s a theatrical element to sizzling cheese dishes , too . The idea of theater is nothing raw to Sperling , who previously run at the Make It Nice Group , which offer a truffle - stuffedroast chickencarved tableside . “ I emphatically retrieve that ’s something the great unwashed can be excited about when return to restaurants after closing off , ” say Sperling . “ you may manipulate delicious intellectual nourishment at home , but hospitality tableside serving is something you may only get dining at a restaurant . ”
After all , maybe set cheese on fire should be left to the expert . “ We definitely do n’t need to do that at dwelling , ” she laughs .
