When Crystal Spring Grocery Co. runs out of it, folks start to holler. When staff at Dogwood Restaurant bring out a burger or hot dog topped with it, the sight inspires five more orders. Caterer Drew Buzik’s orders typically include it, occasionally by the vat.
The delight in question is called cheese slaw, a snack with Roanoke roots. It’s textural kin to the better-known pimiento cheese. But this treat centers on Swiss, not cheddar. Banana and jalapeno peppers, not pimientos, provide the punch, with more bite coming via green onion.
“I like it — perfectly tangy, perfectly creamy, a little salty,” said Abby Epperly, who works front of house at Crystal Spring Grocery in South Roanoke. “I just think this needs to be a cheese slaw town.”
The sometime-condiment, sometime-side, sometime-charcuterie feature has a cult following beyond the Star City that publications including Southern Living occasionally pump up…