Your Chance To Taste... Earlier in the summer, our very own Alex Palomo (a Certified Cheese Professional and our Wholesale Director) traveled to France to hand-select this special wheel of Comte out of thousands of wheels of cheese. This is THE one. Alex even got to carve our name into the side. Join us Monday as he demonstrates how to break into a huge wheel of cheese (oh the muscles!), get a bite of the freshly-cut paste, and sip on complimentary wine. And if you're so inclined, you can take home a chunk of that new cheese. Now that's Cut-to-Order!!! It's FREE TO ATTEND but help us gauge numbers with an RSVP here. In case you missed the announcement last week, know that we have released our fall schedule months in advance - for the first time ever. So for once, you can plan ahead and get in on the action. Always had trouble getting into a sold-out class? Now is your chance! And remember, you can always view all our upcoming public classes here or book your own private tasting here. Thanks for rating our classes "one of the best food experiences in Austin!"  Women Behind the Wheels - Mon 8/26
Join us to celebrate National Women's Equality Day by enjoying a class and cheeseboard featuring cheeses produced by all-female cheesemakers and/or woman-owned companies. We'll work our way through a Cheese 101 tasting of the seven styles, each represented by a different domestic producer. From New York, Wisconsin, and California to 4 different Texas-made cheeses, we've got great representation and a delicious selection. Women's Equality Day was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Ticket details here. (Awesome pic of local maker Amelia Sweethardt of Pure Luck Farm taken by Nora Chovanec.)
Taste of Italy - Tue 8/20 & Tue 8/27 Summer is winding down (thank goodness for the parents out there!) and a few of us are mentally cramming in last-minute vacations. You can just dream about getting away, or you can join us for an evening of escape as we taste our way through some of Italy's iconic and innovative cheeses. Italy is home to the "King of Cheese," Parmigiano Reggiano, as well as taleggio, gorgonzola, and more. From soft to hard, sheep to water buffalo (yes, water buffalo!), we'll enjoy a diverse Italian assortment for a mini-escape. Ticket info here Our celebration of National Goat Cheese Month at the Cheese Shop continues with two cheeses from renowned producer Judy Schad and her team at Capriole! One of the pioneers for the revitalization of American artisan cheese, Judy and her husband Larry began to reinvigorate his family's 1850 farm in 1976. By 1990, after outgrowing a small production space, the Schads decided to build a creamery on their farm, where they still hand-ladle hundreds of gallons of curd to produce their award-winning cheeses. Some of our favorite soft-ripened cheeses come from Judy and her team, and we're excited to feature two of them: Sofia and Piper's Pyramide!  Possibly more precious than the gold bars at Fort Knox are the ingots of Sofia stacked in our cheese case. A product of Capriole's proclaimed "love affair with Loire Valley cheeses", Sofia is a dense, tangy and gooey wonder, as well as a striking beauty with it's ash-ripened surface. The tang of Sofia is perfectly complemented by the bright sweetness and soft bubbles of Pizzolato Moscato.
Appropriately named after Judy's fiery, red-headed granddaughter, Piper's Pyramide is one of Capriole's own favorites. Dusted with and struck through with smoked paprika, this truncated pyramid is luscious, bright and just a tiny bit spicy. To contrast Piper's buttery and peppery bite, we love a glass of the classic Belgian Witbier Blanche De Bruxelles.
Charitable Cheese Cause - Farmshare Austin   Austin Chronicle "Best of" Vote We need you Austin. And in fact, all your favorite, locally-owned, independent businesses need you. Nominations, awards, and recognition like this helps smaller folks like us stick around and get the word out there. Don't keep your fave place a secret; with today's changing landscape, it might not stick around to be your favorite ___. From those of us trying to compete against a monopolized Amazon market, we appreciate your vote! (And for the record, we're fine with Amazon. There's a place for us all; we just don't want to be a dying breed if you like visiting us for complimentary samples. Thanks, y'all!) VOTE HERE by 9/3. This is the first round. Kendall & John & The Most Amazing, Hardworking, Passionate Team of Good Food Advocates Around... |