"Living on the Wedge" at Lake Street Theater, 2/28

"Living on the Wedge" at Lake Street Theater, 2/28

Press release I received from Marion Street Cheese Market (my favorite cheese store):

Marion Street Cheese Market invites you out for a special evening in Downtown Oak Park.

The Lake Theatre will be hosting a special screening of the film “Living on the Wedge”. This documentary leads you on an insider’s tour of Southwest Wisconsin’s award-winning cheesemakers. Meet the host of the film, Mariana Coyne, and the director of the film, Gaylon Emerzian, as they share their take on the making of this film.

After the movie, chat with the cheesemakers featured in the film as they present a wonderful sampling of their hand crafted artisan cheeses. Each cheese will be paired with a select wine to compliment their distinctive tastes. Everyone who attends will take home a complimentary wine glass.

All proceeds from the event go to support the Oak Park Area Arts Council.

You can find more information about the film at:

http://www.livingonthewedge.com

Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
Doors open at 6:30pm
Located at Lake Theatre
1022 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60301
(708) 848-9088 www.classiccinemas.com

Tickets for this event are $40 in advance or $45 at the door
Special pricing for Oak Park Area Arts Council members $35
Tickets go on Sale Friday, January 19th

I recently saw this film and met the filmmaker at the Chicago Culinary Historians (courtesy of Cathy2), and can recommend it. There is much more artisanal cheesemaking going on in Wisconsin than I imagined. In my ignorance, I had assumed that Vermont and California were the only locations for handmade cheese in the U.S. Sounds like and interesting event!

Josephine wrote:I recently saw this film and met the filmmaker at the Chicago Culinary Historians (courtesy of Cathy2), and can recommend it. There is much more artisanal cheesemaking going on in Wisconsin than I imagined. In my ignorance, I had assumed that Vermont and California were the only locations for handmade cheese in the U.S. Sounds like and interesting event!

Yes, this sounds like a fun movie. Josephine, your post makes me feel that I should have done a much better job of promoting, nay advocating for local cheeses. After all, Eat Local is more than just a few apples.

I am convinced that my Eat Local mentality has brainwashed me towards liking local cheeses so much, but I also know that these cheeses are also consistent award winners. We should appreciate (and eat) these cheeses more. I'll do what I can to change this.

For now, or off the top of my head, here's some classic "great" Wisconsin cheeses:

Upland's Pleasant Ridge - a gruyere type of cheese, tremendously complex.

Carr Valley - About 20 versions, all great. The other day I had their paprika coated.

Hook's Point Blue - Mild and creamy

Pleasant Ridge is usually for sale at Whole Foods. My favorite source for Wisconsin cheeses remains the Milwaukee Public Market. The cheese store there has all of the above and many other leading Wisconsin cheeses. The staff will let you try them all before buying.

Vital Information wrote:Pleasant Ridge is usually for sale at Whole Foods. My favorite source for Wisconsin cheeses remains the Milwaukee Public Market. The cheese store there has all of the above and many other leading Wisconsin cheeses. The staff will let you try them all before buying.

I believe the folks from Pleasant Ridge will be at the Lake Theater to provide tastes of their cheese after the movie.

Vital Information wrote: Josephine, your post makes me feel that I should have done a much better job of promoting, nay advocating for local cheeses. After all, Eat Local is more than just a few apples.

Not at all, Rob, since I had not done my homework. And it's not entirely true that I had no idea, having paid a few visits to the late fall Green City Market.

Vital Information wrote: For now, or off the top of my head, here's some classic "great" Wisconsin cheeses:

Upland's Pleasant Ridge - a gruyere type of cheese, tremendously complex.

Carr Valley - About 20 versions, all great. The other day I had their paprika coated.

Hook's Point Blue - Mild and creamy

Pleasant Ridge is usually for sale at Whole Foods. My favorite source for Wisconsin cheeses remains the Milwaukee Public Market. The cheese store there has all of the above and many other leading Wisconsin cheeses. The staff will let you try them all before buying.

Thanks for listing your favorites. I will walk over to The Cheese Stands Alone and see if they carry any of these.

Hi,

Chicago Foodways Roundtable is working towards organizing a roadtrip to visit most, if not all, of the producers in the Wedge film.

Cross your fingers, I expect it will be an interesting trip.

Regards,

There's one wisconsin cheesemaker that I adore - Mary Falk of LoveTree -- who seldom gets mentioned. She sells most of her cheese at the Farmers Market in Minneapolis. My two favorites are:

LoveTree Trade Lake Cedar - Sheep's milk

Gabrielson Lake- Cow's Milk


You can read all about them, and even order them here: http://www.lovetreefarmstead.com/cheese.htm

Just a brief reminder - if you are interested in seeing Living on the Wedge tomorrow in Oak Park, there are some tickets available (but not many).

The film begins at 7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm) and an artisan cheese and wine reception will be held in the lobby of the Lake Theater immediately following the film at 8:00pm. We'll have a tasty selection of warm appetizers (delicious recipes incorporating cheeses from the film's cheesemakers), a ton of cheese from Crave Brothers Cheese, Hook's Cheese, Uplands Cheese, Carr Valley Cheese and Bleu Mont Dairy - and 16 different wines for you to enjoy.

The director of the film, Gaylon Emerzian, and the on-air host of the film, Mariana Coyne, will be attending this special event. We'll have guests on hand from Hook's Cheese, Crave Brothers Cheese, Uplands Cheese and Carr Valley Cheese, as well as wine experts from 4 Chicago area wine distributors. You even get to take home a commemorative wine glass. Please come hungry and dressed casually!

This event is a fundraiser for the Oak Park Area Arts Council and ticket prices are only $40.00 ($45.00 at the door). The Lake Theater is located at 1020 Lake Street in downtown Oak Park.

This will be a fun evening for foodies - we hope to see you there!

Thanks!
Eric Larson
Marion Street Cheese Market