How to please a Santa Barbara gal like me:
* fine weather
* good company
* baguette from Our Daily Bread
* double gouda from C’est Cheese
* a glass of Pale Pink
* sitting on the deck of Municipal Winemakers.
A wine friend recently celebrated her 30th birthday with a small party. I helped with some of the preparations.
On order for the night was blind winetasting, more wine to drink, lots of savory nibbles and cake. Most were supplied by local companies.
A delicious cheese platter, with fruit, bread, knives and forks was provided by C’est Cheese. All gobbled up.
I assembled the smoked salmon, cream cheese and spring onions on toasts. Much fun with a makeshift piping bag.
The birthday girl had special packets to obscure the bottle labels in the blind tasting session, bottle tops that would do one ounce pours, and lots of notepaper for our comments. For what it’s worth, I liked #1 and #4 best. There are rumors that one of the bottles was corked…hope that was the one I called “grassy” and “fumey.”
And then…cake. Many happy returns, Liz!
I first went to C’est Cheese within a week or so of them first opening and I have been a devoted customer ever since. The owners and staff have been nothing but helpful and enthusiastic with their service.
What I like most about C’est Cheese is their cheese tasting evenings. They occur once a month and generally cost $15 or $20 with wine. Their pairings of cheese and honey was the most eye-opening cheese experience I’ve ever had. These evenings are extremely popular and are often sold out within a few hours of the notice appearing in their newsletter, so if you’re keen to join the tasting, do sign up for the newsletter!
The shop reminds me of Neal’s Yard in London’s Covent Garden, offering a wide variety of national and international cheeses, alongside related accoutrements. They also carry cured meats, artisan chocolates and fine wines. They sell fabulous picnic baskets and gift arrangements at varying price levels to suit your tastes and pocketbook. It’s a shop that Santa Barbara had needed for years and I’m so glad Kathryn and Michael picked Santa Barbara to open up their little establishment.
C’est Cheese
825 Santa Barbara St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
www.cestcheese.com
