Mouthful - Pimento cheese

FOX BROS. BAR-B-Q: Is there any Southern food the brothers Fox cannot transform into some wonderfully sleazy gut-bomb? Take their version of pimento cheese. It’s just your basic mix of aged cheddar, pepper jack, a dollop of mayo, chopped pimentos, cayenne peppers and a dash of their barbecue seasoning mix. However balanced and delicious the pimento cheese is, the presentation is what sets it off. Get it cold, oozing out of two slices of buttered and griddled toast or slathered onto the heart-stopping “burger” made with brisket. If those boys are wrong, I don’t want to be right. 1238 DeKalb Ave. 404-577-4030. www.foxbrosbbq.com.

HOLEMAN & FINCH PUBLIC HOUSE: Chef Linton Hopkins’ quintessential pimento cheese-which is normally served with some sort of homemade cracker-is actually one of the cheapest things on the menu at this bustling Buckhead gastropub. His recipe is, according to the chef, “real simple. Two types of cheddar, aged white and extra sharp yellow. A good dose of farm egg mayo, some Tabasco, black pepper and charred red peppers, true Georgia pimentos in summertime.” Simple?  Yes, but there is something to be said about skills. And we all know Hopkins has got ‘em. 2277 Peachtree Road, Suite B. 404-948-1175. www.holeman-finch.com.

SAVOR SPECIALTY FOODS: Given Savor’s carefully chosen assortment of cheeses, it’s no surprise that the pimento cheese is made with 10 different varieties, including a Swiss cheese base and fresh chevre (soft goat cheese) for added creaminess. Owner January Hodgson’s version-made with roasted red peppers, garlic and spices-is her spin on a recipe she learned while working in Kentucky. Get it panini-style or just take a tub for a wicked midnight snack. 2355 Peachtree Road. 404-869-0070. www.savorgourmet.com.