When a menu offers a cheese plate, there's a 99 percent chance I am going to order it. Especially if it comes with a variety of breads, crackers, fruits, meats, and preserves or jams. Each of these enhances the cheese -- and you can make a meal out of an appetizer.
Whether you want to munch on cheese and crackers at the bar, or start -- or end -- your meal off with a glass of wine and a sampling of artisan cheese and meats, there are several restaurants in our great city to satisfy this craving. Here are five of the best cheese plates in Houston.
5. Kirbside Bar
The bar inside the Whole Foods on Kirby serves a variety of cheese plates for you to munch on while sipping a glass of beer or wine. If you're a cheese connoisseur, order either The Kirbside Classic with smoked mozzarella wrapped with prosciutto, Goat Brie, a fig spread, Gruyere Reserve New Zealand Cheddar, gherkins and a Spanish cocktail mix, or choose the more expensive "The Localtier," complete with local cheeses: Lonestar goat cheese, aged Brazos Valley Clothbound Cheddar, raw milk Brazos Valley Brie, Stroope's local honey and Zilk's basil pesto. But one of the best options, for $10, is The Mixed Milk cheese plate, complete with soft, creamy Lonestar goat cheese, nutty three-month Manchego, cubed smoked seaside cheddar and fig preserves. The plates are served with crispy crackers. You can't go wrong with a plate of cheese and a beer.
4. Zelko Bistro
The cheese plate at Zelko Bistro is everything you want in a cheese plate. The selections of cheese from the Brazos Valley vary, but you'll always have a variety of hard cheese, like Parmesan or Gouda, and soft, creamy cheese like Brie or crumbled blue. But the plate is not complete without its accompaniments. Chef Jamie Zelko adds a variety of grapes and strawberries and a stick of honeycomb. Pair all these sweet treats with savory bread, heavily coated in garlic, olive oil and herbs. A little bit of cheese with some bread and honey is the ultimate bite. And if you can eat outside while enjoying this platter, you'll feel like you've died and gone to heaven.
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