Good Taste

I owe it all to the local tapas bars for getting me hooked on Monte Enebro, an addictively unique Spanish goat cheese from the walled medieval city of Avila, west of Madrid.

Shaped like a flattened log and wrapped in a wrinkled ash rind touched with Roquefort mold, Monte Enebro has a fresh and lemony tang to its densely creamy curd when fresh. As it ages, though, a shiny halo of cream swims near the edges, and it exudes the ripened pungence of its true bleu cheese genes.

For a real surprise, pair it, as they occasionally do at Amada, with a warm Nutella-like spread of hazelnut and chocolate.

A plate of Monte Enebro costs $7 (when available) at Amada and its westside cousin, Tinto. It's also available at several local cheese stores, including Downtown Cheese and both Di Bruno Bros. locations, ranging from $24 to $28 a pound.

- Craig LaBan