Crispy, gooey mozzarella sticks aren’t on the menu at Caruso’s Grocery, but they should be on your table.

Chef Matt Adler’s North Bethesda restaurant is serving extra-flavorful mozzarella sticks — but only if you know to ask for them. As tasty as they are, being in the know about an off-menu item is half the fun. (See also: In-N-Out Burger’s secret menu animal style fries and Starbucks’ butterbeer frappuccino.)

“If you don’t know, you’re not going to know,” Stuart Ameter, executive chef at Caruso’s, told The Banner. “Word-of-mouth advertising is the bread and butter. It’s what really gets people going. When somebody tells you about something, it’s much different than reading about it. I do think there’s something special.”

The mozzarella sticks just became an official menu item at Owen’s Tavern & Beer Garden, the bar area in the front of Caruso’s Grocery. Both are operated from the same kitchen, but Owen’s is a more casual after-work drinks spot, while Caruso’s is a nicer, sit-down restaurant. Though you won’t see the mozzarella sticks on the Caruso’s menu, chefs said they’re available to order at both Caruso’s Grocery locations (the original restaurant is in D.C.).

Adler has wanted to add mozzarella sticks to the menu for almost two years, according to Ameter. Adler teased the secret menu item on social media in the last few weeks as he invited fellow restaurant industry members in to taste test as he perfected the recipe.

Caruso’s uses Avorio, a fresh mozzarella loaf that isn’t packed in brine like some other types. Low-moisture mozzarella is key to avoid sogginess and ensure it melts and stretches better. (Might we add, the cheese pull on these goes on for days.)

That’s then coated in a crispy, salty Panko breading — the same one used for the chicken parm. An existing pomodoro sauce on the menu gets spruced up with white wine, garlic and Calabrian chili before it’s blended and served as one of two dipping sauces. The other option, a fresh, springy basil pesto, is also used in the creamy burrata appetizer.

There are only so many ways to put this: They’re just quality mozzarella sticks. And that’s the whole point, Ameter said. No reinvention of the wheel, just a solid execution of the fundamentals.

“That’s the essence of what we do with everything here,” he added. “There’s nothing special about a chicken parm or an Alfredo. Yes, we have truffle butter and the marsala mushrooms are really great, but it’s just not what we do. What we do is simple food made the best way possible.”