Feast on these Cheese dishes

Sparky’s Cheese Fries

Crisscut potatoes topped in an Alfredo-like cheese sauce and sprinkled with bleu cheese crumble deliver pub food comfort with a twist. Sparky’s Brewing Company, 1252 23rd St SE #110, facebook.com/2sparkystaphouse

Welsh Rarebit

A classic British dish reimagined in Salem. Toasty bread topped with house-made Infiltrator Pilsner beer cheese and scallions, with the option of bacon and/or jalapeños for extra punch. Santiam Brewing, 2544 19th St SE, santiambrewing.com

Fried Cheese Curds

Golden, gooey, and dangerously addictive, these curds demand to be eaten hot with a dunk in house ranch. Noble Wave, 189 Liberty St NE #112, enjoynoblewave.com

Cheddar Puffs

These airy cheddar, gruyere & chive-packed puffs will disappear faster than you can say ‘just one more.’ Lively Station, 3635 River Rd S, livelystation.com

House Grilled Cheese

This melty mash-up of cheddar, Swiss-American, Parmesan, and Gouda layered on sourdough tastes like childhood, all grown up. Venti’s Cafe + Beer Vault, 325 Court St NE, ventiscafe.com

Charcuterie

Treat your palate to a variety of cheese favorites or let the shop pick and be surprised (we went with the latter and were not disappointed!). Our dish featured Bleu d’Auvergne, a slightly grassy medium blue from France; Barista, a creamy Gouda with hints of coffee from Belgium; and Primo Pascolo, a buttery raw cow’s milk cheese from Italy. Grazing Fields Cheese and Charcuterie Shoppe, 2195 Hyacinth St NE, grazing-fields.com

Cheesecake

A dessert to swoon over, this cheesecake is a creamy delight made with Don Froylan’s requesón, a Mexican-style fresh cheese that brings a lighter, brighter flavor than ricotta or cream cheese. Manna, 237 States St, instagram.com/mannaoregon/

Don Froylan Creamery 

In a story highlighting cheese, we’d be remiss not to mention Salem’s own Don Froylan Creamery. This family-run cheesery blends tradition and innovation to craft authentic Mexican favorites like panela and cotija. Their work has earned multiple accolades from the American Cheese Society for queso fresco, queso panela, queso botanero, and hand-stretched queso Oaxaca, including the 2024 title of Best Shredding Cheese in the U.S.

Visit Don Froylan to watch the cheese-making in action, then settle in at their quesadilla bar for a meal built around cheese at its best. Don Froylan Creamery, 3310 Portland Rd NE, donfroylancreamery.com

This story originally ran in Press Play Salem issue 25 (Fall 2025)

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