Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery’s chef has unfussy, approachable style

At Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery, fromage aficionados can explore a thoughtfully curated marketplace or settle into the adjoining dining room for a full-blown meal.

Along with the expected cheese and charcuterie boards, the constantly evolving lineup offers shareable snacks like spicy Buffalo-style cheese curds and a must-order corn bread “éclair” topped with velvety chicken liver mousse and Luxardo cherries. Other starters appearing on the fun, unpretentious menu might include smoked trout dip with house-made ciabatta. A salad of endive, avocado, and Little Gem lettuce is dressed with a pleasantly acidic tahini-based green goddess dressing.

House-made pastas, not excessively sauced, include radiatóri with San Marzano tomato sauce crowned with a dollop of burrata, or gnocchi-like potato dumplings with sour cream, artisanal cheddar, and lardons. Meats and seafood are cooked in a massive wood-burning hearth, all reflecting the chef’s unfussy, approachable style.

An entrée of West Coast steelhead trout with a spicy tartar sauce was a recent seasonal fish offering. Horseradish-spiked beets is a recommended side. As for the desserts, order s’mores stuffed into pizzelle (waffle cookie) “tacos” and soft-serve with various toppings.