I love cheese. My love has been fairly unsophisticated -- american, cheddar, mozzarella, provolone. Over the past few years I've branched out a
little bit, settling on gouda, smoked mozzarella, and sharp cheddar as the perfect combination for macaroni and cheese, and baking brie and apples.
But last fall when I visited Ryan in Fort Collins I was exposed to a whole new world -- an actual cheese shop and bistro. He took me to
The Welsh Rabbit and I was in heaven. Their
cheese menu is more extensive than anything I had ever seen, and the choices of meats, bread, wine, and beer made it a life-changing experience for me. We don't have anything like this within 100 miles, and that is probably a good thing for my weight and cholesterol.
Ryan had been to The Welsh Rabbit plenty of times before, so he chose some of his favorites from the intriguingly-named Humboldt Fog, Powerful Welsh, Flagsheep, and Cave-Aged Karst. Honey chevre was my favorite cheese and borsellino dried salami was the tastiest charcuterie selection. I've searched far and wide here at home, and have been able to find some adequate honey chevre, but alas, no borsellino.
There really is something special about trying and savoring small
servings in a delightful, relaxed atmosphere with someone special, so even when I have honey chevre on crackers for lunch, it's not quite the same.
But that's okay, too. I can look forward to visiting Fort Collins again this summer, where I can enjoy my favorite cheese (and maybe try something adventurous from the
Peasant Fare menu) along with my favorite beer and one of my favorite sons.
I love cheese, too, and my tastes have gotten more sophisticated in the last few years. We went to a cheese class and I learned so much - you're right, it's fun to enjoy a small piece of something wonderful so long as it's with someone special.
ReplyDeleteOh cheese is good but cheese is bad....for my waist line. I love that you have a favorite place to visit when you visit ONE of your favorite sons :)
ReplyDeleteI love cheese, too but it does not like me. All the food and cheese you describe sounds fabulous! It would be worth traveling cross country to enjoy food that good!
ReplyDeleteCheese is the main reason why I am vegetarian, but not a vegan.
ReplyDeleteI've had to cut back on cheese as part of an anti-inflammatory efforts, but can enjoy a bit now and then. Was Humboldt Fog from the Northern Cali coast? It sounds like it might be!
ReplyDeleteI am a complete cheese-aholic and I have not yet met a cheese I do not love. This little shop looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteoh yes, cheese. a food group all by itself, right? I love it all...but special favorites include that Humboldt Fog blue, burrata and anything on a plate shared with a friend (and a glass of wine) :-)
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