This is a public service announcement for all of you dedicated enjoyers of cheese out there.
You see, I have been a cheese monger for a very long time. I love cheese, and not a day passes that I do not enjoy one of the 200 cheeses that I have at my disposal. And yes, before you ask, it’s a tough job, but I make these sacrifices for all of you.
While part of my job is teaching both the cheese and whisky tasting classes and helping with our educational program, my real job—at its most basic level—is to talk with you fine folks about cheese when you meander into Caputo’s. You’re looking for something exciting, and I’m here to help. This is the part of the job that has kept me here and invested the last several years. Frankly, I get paid to talk about cheese. This to me means that I am doing alright.
That being said, I know that most of you don’t spend 60 hours a week in the equivalent of Cheese Candyland, which is why I have set out to share my thoughts on this from the other side of the counter. People frequently ask me how they can expand their cheese palette, and my response is invariably the same, you need to try more cheese. This seems rather self-serving to some as I clearly work at a place that benefits from selling more cheese. Bear in mind, I am not a sales person who makes a commission. I make the same salary whether we sell out of cheese or if we don’t sell an ounce of the stuff for a week (although that would probably not be a very fun week).
Note that I did not say BUY more cheese, I said TRY more cheese.
We have an open sampling policy, which means that of the 200 cheeses I referred to earlier, you can come in and sample about 197 of them in one sitting, if it suits you. You can also pick the brain of the dedicated cheese nerd behind the counter. And it makes no difference to me if you spend a nickel after the sampling, so long as you enjoyed yourself. So please come take advantage of the cheese library that Caputo’s is happy to offer.
I know all of you have real jobs that don’t center around eating cheese all day. I and my fellow cheesemongers, however, have such a job, so take advantage of this. We are people dedicated to finding you the best cheese for your palette, because, for us, this isn’t just what we eat, it’s what we live for and what gives us a sense of accomplishment.
So ask us about our cheeses, and then ask us for a sample. I see no harm in having a favorite cheese that you can go back to time after time and enjoy. However, if you truly want to expand your cheese repertoire, every time you come in for your favorite cheese, try something that you haven’t before. Challenge yourself a little—it’s only cheese, and who is to say that your new favorite cheese won’t come to you on the next sample spoon.
So during your next trip to Caputo’s, please feel comfortable grabbing your favorite cheese, but never hesitate to ask if you can try our cheese of the week or our new favorite or just that cooool lookin’ one with the crazy mold growing on it. We are always legitimately excited about some new cheese. Let us share that excitement with you, and always remember, if you have the time, we have the samples. Plus, I would always rather talk to you about cheese than do dishes—it’s kind of a no-brainer when you get right down to it.