Watch Bud & Marilyn’s Stuff Cheese Into a Meatloaf

What’s better than meatloaf? Meatloaf oozing with cheese. At chef Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s Bud & Marilyn’s, a thick slice of fontina cheese-stuffed meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy makes an appearance on the modern Midwestern menu.

Bud & Marilyn’s is part of the pair’s lineup of 13th Street restaurants, though each is different enough a diner likely wouldn’t guess they share the same owners. There’s Lolita, serving street food-style Mexican fare, and the Mediterranean pizzas, pastas, and salted caramel budino at Barbuzzo. Jamonera is where to head if you’re in the mood for a Spanish wine bar and Little Nonna’s is the cozy Italian-American kitchen. Bud & Marilyn’s goes for a retro vibe, inspired by Turney’s grandparents’ restaurant in Ripon, Wisconsin. Turney made it even more of a family spot by bringing her brother, Evan Turney, in as chef de cuisine.

Eater dropped by Bud & Marilyn’s to watch the Turneys at work — specifically, to watch them work at prepping, cooking, and plating that cheese-stuffed meatloaf.

The meatloaf is made with dry-aged beef and veal. Those get mixed with bread crumbs, parmesan, and a few other ingredients before the meat is layered with fontina cheese and greens. It’s rolled up, glazed before baking, and then, finally, served with mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, and a mushroom gravy, like this:

Rachel Vigoda