20 cheesy dishes

Mary Beth Faller; The Arizona Republic; Jun. 27, 2007 12:00 AM

Whether delicately served atop fresh greens or in a big vat of molten goo for dipping, cheese is the ultimate comfort food. There are plenty of places in the Valley to find good, cheesy dishes. Here are several:

Haus Murphys
This restaurant serves authentic German cuisine. Try the cheese schnitzel - Ementhaler cheese, breaded, fried and topped with ligonberries and red cabbage and served with fried potatoes. The schweitzer schnitzel is pork wrapped in Ementhaler and Black Forest ham, breaded and sautéed. Details: 5739 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, (623) 939-2480, hausmurphys.com.

McDuffy's
McDuffy's All Pro Potato Chips are flash fried and irresistible, the perfect vehicle for scooping up gooey cheese sauce. Work off the calories on the dance floor. Details: 15814 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, (623) 334-5000, mcduffys.com.

Grazie Pizzeria Winebar
Italians love their cheese, and at Grazie it's presented the Italian way. Scamorza Funghi is a skillet of melted smoked mozzarella cheese topped with sautéed mushrooms. You can also have it topped with prosciutto. There's also a five-cheese pizza. The Cinque Formaggi has mozzarella, gorzonzola, provolone, ricotta and parmigiana. Details: 21051 W. Main St., Buckeye, (623) 853-1717, grazie.us.

Joe's Farm Grill
The grilled cheese at this retro burger stand is melted fontina on Texas toast. For the perfect cheese/chocolate combination, pair it with a dark chocolate milkshake made with real ice cream. Other cheesy dishes include the grilled pizza with mozzarella, fontina and romano, and the fontina burger. Details: 3000 E. Ray Road, Gilbert, (480) 563-4745, joesfarmgrill.com.

The Roosevelt Tavern
Fare includes homemade fontina and Gruyere grilled cheese served with a creamy tomato soup, and a cheese plate offering three cheeses with toasted almonds, crackers, dried apricot and apple half. The bar menu lists more than 40 beers and an extensive wine list. Details: 816 N. Third St. Phoenix, (602) 254-2561.

Café Zuzu
Cheesy comfort food rules here. Start with warm Maytag blue cheese fondue with homemade potato chips or sun-dried tomato and goat cheese casserole. Move on to macaroni and cheese with ham and cheddar. You can have cheesy grits on the side. Details: 6850 E. Main St., Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale, (480) 248-2000, hotelvalleyho.com.

El Encanto
The signature dish at this popular Cave Creek cantina is Pollo Fundido - roasted chicken breast topped with a jalapeno cheese sauce and more cheese. There's enough to eat for dinner and take home the leftovers for lunch the next day. Details: 6248 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, (480) 488-1752, elencantorestaurant.com.