Let's Go to the Beech
“Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like & celebrating it for everything that it is.”
Happy Thursday, friends! This post goes out to my NYC peeps.
I was in New York City a few months ago for work. The Chilewich flagship store, the company I work for, sits caddy corner to a cheese shop. So when I was out and about on my free night, let’s not be surprised where I went once I knew this place was there. Who knew I hit the cheese shop jackpot.
Beecher’s began over a decade ago in Seattle. In 2003, it was the only artisan cheese maker in Seattle. The world of cheese has come a long way since then. In 2011, Beecher’s opened another location in NYC in the Flatiron District.
All of the milk used to make their cheese is local. New York’s comes from somewhere in New Jersey. And all of the cheese is made in house. They are prideful of their business but why wouldn’t you be if you served up quality local cheese in an authentic way? And if you go to the shop at the right time, you can get a show with dinner.
They boast a great cheese selection, not all from the Beecher name. I figured if I was there, I had to go with something housemade. It was so hard to choose so I went tried and true.
This cheese is the signature cheese of Beecher’s. After tasting it, it is easy to see why. Semi-hard cow’s milk cheese reminiscent of a sharp cheddar. It is robust and nutty, which comes from its 15 months of aging. Because of its style, it is perfect for melting - whether it be on your Sunday omelet or in Mac & Cheese. A great pairing would something just as robust - a full bodied beer or an IPA.
Sidenote: Beecher’s claims to sell the best Mac and Cheese in the world … But is it really THAT good?
In most cases, except for mozzarella, I like a good smoked cheese - gouda, provolone, sign me up. Beecher’s Smoked Flagship is no different. It holds the same nuttiness and robust flavor of the Flagship. But because it is smoked over apple and cherry wood, it has this smokiness that could almost be considered too much. It has such an interesting flavor with the combination of aging and smokiness. In combination to its not smoked counterpart or any other appropriate fondue cheese, this would be a great addition to a cheese fondue mixture. A suitable wine would be Syrah or Zinfandel - robust but not overbearing.
The way I see it, any place that I can order a grilled cheese and mac & cheese for dinner and not get judged for it is my kind of place. Not to mention, who would not want to watch cheese being made while they eat a meal centered around well … cheese.
Stay tuned for my own personal Mac & Cheese recipe featuring Beecher’s Cheese.