A structured tasting of domestic artisanal cheese

Slow Food Chicago and Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine

Invite You to an Educational and Social Tasting Event in
Celebration of American Artisan Cheese
Featuring The Winners of the
2005 American Cheese Society Competition

Hosted by Dean Chris Koetke of the Kendall College of Culinary Arts

Join us for an informative and delicious taste of America’s finest cheeses arranged by region, paired with exquisite American wines, charcuterie and other accompaniments. Educational instruction led by Pastoral’s professional cheese & wine staff.

The format of the evening will be first, a sit-down lecture accompanied by a structured tasting of the winning cheeses paired with domestic wines, and second, a walk-around tasting of additional cheeses paired with charcuterie, bread, and additional wines.

Monday, August 22, 2005
6 to 8:30 pm
Kendall College Culinary Auditorium-
Kendall’s Chicago Goose Island Campus
900 N. North Branch Street
$35 per person in advance, $40 at the door

RSVP and pre-pay at
http//www.chicagocooks.com/default.asp?sectionid=702&menuid=5

If you would like to pay by check, please call Amy Cook, 312-467-6273
If you have questions relating to the program of cheeses, please call Pastoral, 773-472-4781

A Portion of the Evening’s Proceeds Will Establish a Slow Food Chicago Scholarship for a Kendall Student to apprentice with a local midwest Artisanal Cheese Maker.

Those of us at the cheese event appreciated the care given to the cheese selections, and there are certainly several that I would try again at Pastoral (the cheese, bread, and wine shop that sponsored the event). The only problem was the size of the audience, which led to longish lines at the four cheese tables (Northeast, West, Central, and South).

For me the surprise of the evening was a white wine from Connecticut (???), lovingly named Ballet of Angels (by Sharpe Hill Vineyards). I plan to visit Pastoral to pick up a few bottles. This was an off-dry, highly complex wine (I gather than it is blended from multiple varietals).

I can only hope that there are enough cheesy consumers in Chicago to support Pastoral and the Cheese Stands Alone both.

Pastoral
2945 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657

773-472-4781

I can second most of GAF's comments. I should note that Slow Foods was a co-sponsor, and they really knew how to do things slow - from the speakers to the speed of serving samples. I did have the opportunity to try the Goose Island Matilda beer - a Belgian Abbey style, somewhat like a Duvel or Chimay. But I was glad to get a chance to try it, after hearing the Goose brewmaster talk about it a bit, shortly after they ran out at Saturday night's Brews and Blues Cruise. It was very good, but he said they made only a very short run of it - something like 70 - 80 barrels.

I remember the CT wines, and asked about them - apparently they are not 100% vinifera, they have to mix in some hybrids - probably a function of the Connecticut climate. But I did particularly enjoy a surprisingly good Barbara from Virginia.

The cheeses were all uniformly interesting, some appealed more than others, but I don't have my tasting notes here. Sorry.