Minneapolis Cheese Shop Visit! France44
In early October, Alex and I traveled to a friend’s wedding in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As we were scheming this travel, we realized the University of Cincinnati Homecoming was the following weekend. So we hatched a plan to have ourselves a little Midwestern Cheese Shop Tour! First stop – France44 Cheese Shop in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis.
France44 was on my radar since participating in the Cheesemonger Invitational (CMI) earlier this summer. One of the finalists, Jared Kaufman, was a monger at France44. I knew I had to visit!
Since 2001, France44 has been specializing in cut-to-order cheese, whole animal butchery, curated artisanal grocery items, and made-to-order sandwiches, salads, cheese boards. We were greeted by an enormous sign that simply said, “CHEESE”. We knew we were in the right place!
We had a lovely chat with the cheesemonger behind the counter, Sam, and he directed us towards a particularly tasty batch of Apricity from Alemar Cheese Company. A soft-ripened, geo-rind gem hailing from the Twin Cities with way more bark than bite (in a good way!). This lil’ 4oz. ball of goodness stunk up our rental car and we were surprised at how the mild-buttery-tangy taste compared to the stank. We also picked up a substantial hunk of the Swiss superstar Chällerhocker because Alex hadn’t tried it yet! I met Walter Räss, the maker of this aged Appenzeller-style cheese, at CMI and I have a real soft spot for this silky-dense, brown-buttery, nutty washed-rind cheese. I just really like this cheese, ok!?
France44 has a huge event/education space where the host all manner of cheesy workshops and parties. They have a sign in that space that reads “When you buy our food, you are supporting small farms, sustainable agriculture, small businesses and living wages with full benefits for the people that serve you. The dollars you spend here make a real difference in the community around you.” – cheers to this France44! Wise words to follow as we build and grow our beloved Martha’s Vineyard Cheesery!
Next stop on the road trip, Madison, Wisconsin!
