Cheeselog

This is your opportunity to take home what Master of Wine Jancis Robinson recommends to her own friends: Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV. To call this sparkling wine “festive” is an understatement. But it is so much more than that. Perfectly crafted for maximum fruit and brightness, it is also structured enough to pair with dinner. There’s nothing quite as jolly as toasting with a glass of rosé. Moreover, there’s nothing quite as jolly as showing up to your next party with this exceptionally beautiful gift pack. And at this special price ($14.99 per bottle) there’s no reason to say no.

Please keep in mind that there are

, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Order enough to take you through the holidays - it will perfectly suit any occasion from Halloween to New Year’s Eve.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the wine and to order. You don’t want to miss this opportunity - so get to clicking!

First stop: Lincoln Park Farmers’ Market!
What you need to understand right off the bat is that Chicago is not only in a different time zone than Virginia, but it is in a completely different weather zone (more on par with the arctic tundra). As such, you will see that we are coated and scarfed, despite the fact that it was 75 and sunny in Virginia. The flowery mound hanging on the front of me in the picture is my blanket-covered infant in carrier. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t think I had developed a large unsightly growth.

Anway, in between hand-warming sessions, I stopped by a local cheese stand and picked up a really cool blue cheese/mascarpone/pistachio nut roll. Now I am not normally a nut roll fan, but OH MY was this delicious. If I were a tackier person, I would have eaten it in the middle of the market like a candy bar. Being that I am dainty and proper, I waited to inhale it till we got home. In my left hand is a bag of super-yummy cheese curds. Mild, tangy, creamy. I was a bit disappointed, however, that the tell-tale squeak of many cheese curds was absent. Probably cause it was SO DARN COLD!

After the farmers’ market we visited Gepperth’s butcher shop, a fine example of butchery if I’ve ever seen it. The gentlemen behind the counter all wear shirts and ties under their aprons, giving the place a really cool old-world feel. Plus, they gave my little girl gummy candies to munch on, so they couldn’t be any cooler in my book.

Next stop was was Little Italy, which is less full of Italian storefronts than I would have liked. However, we did visit Conte di Savoia, which makes the world’s best fresh mozzarella. They keep it on the counter in a large bucket. Not glamorous, but OH SO SUCCULENT. It’s hard to not eat it while driving back. The key: NEVER refrigerate. If you can’t eat it within a few hours, you’re just not doing your job.

Our Chicago trip was wonderful. We ran out of time to do a cheese shop tour (go figure!) but we will be back soon so you can expect another update then!

... not ah-lin-AY-uh.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, on to the experience.

Anyone who has read - and/or dared to cook anything from - the Alinea cookbook knows that this revered Chicago establishment is on the cutting edge of culinary science. A.K.A. “don’t try to cook this unless you have a $4000 Pacojet and a steady supply of chemicals that might get you added to an FBI watch list”. Chef Grant Achatz has made quite a name for himself as someone who creates dishes like “Hot Potato Cold Potato”, which sounds cutsie but is in fact a NASA-level culinary invention. One of the coolest parts of the evening was our approach. The building has an unassuming black facade with no sign. Like NO SIGN AT ALL. Luckily, my sister-in-law lives close-by so she knew this fact. As we approached from a block away, a coat-wearing stranger cut in front of us, walking slowly. I was concerned until I realized he was in fact the doorman, who somehow sensed that we were destined for Alinea’s hallowed halls, and escorted us in. Started creepy, ended cool.

The restaurant is very elegant and simple. There is minimal decor (trust me - the food is enough) and there is no music. Not even a subtle background tinkle. So, if there’s a lull in your conversation, which is bound to happen during a 4 1/2 hour dinner, it’s a serious lull. On to the food.

Wait - no. On to the staff. Super friendly, super chic, super funky, super knowledgable. Just super great all-around. Ok - now on to the food.

We ordered the “Tour” menu, which is 24 courses. Not a type-o. It’s 24 courses. We naturally had to request the wine pairings because why bother eating 24 exacting courses without the perfect vino? We were not disappointed with the restaurant’s choices. Spot-on and always exceptional. Plus, the gentleman in charge of pouring and explaining the wines was a real gem. And his hair was outrageously cool. Wish I had a photo.

Each course was a work of art, literally. By course, I really mean a bite or so. Some courses I liked more than others (yeah to the Black Truffle Explosion, not-so-yeah to the Sea Urchin mousse, served in its own sad carcass). Each was a feast for the eyes. The Brook Trout was splendid and it was served with local caviar hand-harvested by the chef. It was a little intense for my blood, but my husband was in fish roe heaven.

One of the most memorable courses was the “Tomato”, not because it was my favorite to eat but because it was my favorite to experience. We were first presented with a large centerpiece bowl filled with hot stones, tomato vines, and basil “to simulate the aromas of working in the garden”. Bingo! This fascinating touch made the entire course.

One of the dessert courses stood out - not only because they covered our table with a sheet of stretchy silicone and then poured berries, liquid nitrogen-frozen ice cream, and various accompaniments all over it, but because Chef Achatz himself was the pourer of said goodies. It was neat to see him in person - a true culinary artist.

The final touch was a sheet recapping the entire meal, including wines. Not only was everything listed, but each course is illustrated by a graphical representation of flavor intensity, sweetness, and portion size. So cool, Alinea people!

Overall, an amazing experience that I am so glad I had. The food was of course over-the-top, precious, and highly involving. The wines rocked my world. This was not a stuff-your-gullet, stumble home kind of meal. Alinea puts on a great show - part dinner, part theater for 4 1/2 hours and 24 courses.

I love Whole Foods. To be clear, I have always loved Whole Foods, even before being BLOWN AWAY by my recent outing to the newly established branch in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Not only is this store a mecca of all things that we love about Whole Foods (great selection coupled with great education) but they have the coolest little sub-businesses in place. For instance, interested in a glass of beer? Stop by the pub-style bar near the entrance. Itching for a cheese course? Plop down at their super-hip little wine bar and treat yourself to a flight of wine and cheese. Jeff and I enjoyed the “Off the Beaten Path Whites” flight (best was the Verdejo - one of my new favorites) and the “Cheesemonger’s Choice” cheese flight, which included Smokey Blue, Reserve Gruyere, and Camembert. They coupled it with candied pecans and a wonderful fruit drizzle. All in all, a nice little repast to distract me from the arduous task of selecting which Sopressata I wanted for my Stromboli tomorrow. Oh - and did I mention there’s a food court thing with BBQ, Taqueria, Sushi, Soda Fountain, etc.? Impressive to say the least. One word of advice to our local Whole Foods: get to Lincoln Park and check out your super-fly big brother. Maybe you could at least add the soda fountain? I’m jonesing for a milkshake.

Next stop: Alinea. Oh my.

October’s wine event is SO cool! The main reason is that I love when my preconceptions are dashed. I’ve never been a big lover of Australian wines. They always seemed too lush, too round, too velvety. Boy was I surprised when I tasted the wines we are featuring in the wine event. Shocking! Please take a moment to sign up. You won’t regret it!

Yes, folks, after much begging and pleading with the folks at Rogue River Creamery, the country’s best cheese is now at Cheesetique. Rogue River Blue is a raw cow’s milk blue aged for nearly a year and wrapped in native Syrah leaves which have been soaked in Pear Brandy. According to the producer, “The grape leaves add additional complexity to the terroir driven flavors of the cheese and preserve its moist creamy texture.” And boy does it have the most amazing flavor ever! Not to mention its creamy yet chewy texture.

Rogue River Blue was just selected as Best in Show at the American Cheese Society conference in Austin, Texas. It beat out over 2000 other cheeses to receive this honor. This makes Rogue River Blue the undisputed BEST CHEESE IN AMERICA.

For those of you lucky enough to attend our upcoming American Winners cheese class, you will get to taste this exclusive cheese, which must be ordered months in advance. For those of you not coming to the class, YOU SHOULD COME TO THE CLASS! There are still spots open (www.cheesetique.com/events). You can also purchase this cheese for the steep but oh-so-worth-it price of $36/lb.