Cheese Haus

“Remember that cheese shop in Madison?”

“Yeah, you used it to negotiate our son’s behavior,” Anne says as we pull into the parking lot of our local fromagerie.

“They totally knew him after he asked for samples three days in a row.” Our youngest is a cheese fiend, and he has a gift card to this cheese shop. Well, he’s had this gift card for a while, but this place is a little off the beaten path and he hasn’t been overly excited to make a special trip.

A few years ago, he would eagerly sample any new cheese that was available, but lately he’s been sticking to his usual cheddars, goudas, and fetas. Maybe the occasional parmesan. I’m more than a little sad to see his queso adventures dwindling.

We hop out of our minivan and climb the stairs to the shop. A young sales rep (dutifully unshaven like a faithful hipster) stands at the door offering cheese and wine samples. My young cheese connoisseur is well past him, though. He’s impatiently flitting from one display to the next.

“Mom, look at this cheese slicer. Did you see these fig-pepper crackers? Can I try this spreadable cheese? Ooh, look at this!”

I can’t keep up and don’t even try. I’m content to stand back and watch his wide-eyed pleasure at all things cheese. After he looks at all the possible accompaniments, I draw his attention to the board listing approximately 60 different varieties of cheese. His mouth drops open as he tries to comprehend all the options.

“Can I help you?” the cheerful cheesemonger asks.

He is overwhelmed. So many cheeses! is his only thought.

“Would you like to try some of these?” she asks.

He steps forward, craning his neck to see the board. “Uh-huh. I don’t like blue cheese, but I like gouda and feta.”

She smiles. “I don’t really like blue cheese either, but I think I have some you’ll like.” She steps back to her refrigerators and carefully chooses a few options. She slices a piece for him, his mom, and me. “This is a Dutch cheese, kind of like feta. I bet you’ll like it.”

We cup our hands as if receiving a communion wafer and receive her gift. It sits on our tongue. Salty. Creamy. Sweet.

We go through many more tastes. Our eyes widening in surprise sometimes. Rolling back in ecstasy others.

Finally, we make our choices. We decide to buy all of the new experiences we’ve had today. Who can put a price on that?