Finally!! The Joy of Cheese Spring Events

After spending nearly three months getting Gastronomie 491's Cheese and Charcuterie department up and running, the Joy of Cheese tastings will spend the spring coming back up to full speed. There's stuff all over town in April and May.

April 19 at 7 at the 92nd St. Y Uptown (92 & Lexington) Better Than Wine

8 rare beers, 8 special cheeses, 90 minutes of information comprise the left side of the equation. Lotsa fun is on the other side of the equal sign. $40. For more information visit http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/BetterThanWine-Beer-CheesePair-1.aspx

April 24 at 7:30 at Kupersmith, 49 Clinton St. The Great Return

It's been a while, no? In our first public event at Kupersmith since January, this tasting will showcase some of the newer cheeses to hit the NYC marketplace during our absence. Expect fantastic camemberts, exceptional goat's milk cheeses and maybe, just maybe Winnimere. We'll investigate nine cheeses overall. Tickets are $25; you pay for your beverages separately. For more information visit, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242387

May 1, 8, and 15 at 7:30 at Gastronomie 491, 491 Columbus Ave (83rd-84th) Gastronomie 491 Presents The Joy of Cheese Miniatures

Great cheese, superb wine, knowledge on each, and a comfortable setting. These are all cornerstones of The Joy of Cheese events for seven years, but on three Tuesdays in May, the 1st, 8th, and 15th, we'll offer a new twist. You can *buy* the cheeses afterward. Please join us for one or more of these short events that run from 7:30-8:15. We'll present four cheese and wine pairings (and yeah, there will be a mystery cheese). I'll discuss the cheeses and noted expert Michael Whidden will regale us with information about the wines. Tickets are $20; the fun is unlimited. For more information, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242394

May 3rd at the 92nd St. Y (Uptown, 92 & Lex) Cheese and Tequila

Yes, maybe we've finally lost our minds, but this seemed like an irresistible challenge. Find a bunch of cheese and tequila pairings. Dave Herman, the Grand Tsar of Malt (he co-led our wildly successful cheese and whiskey classes) and I will preside over this 90 minute-two hour exploration. This event will feature at least four cheese and tequila pairings (we were originally going to do a wine pairing and a beer pairing but we may just do six tequilas, who knows). Tickets are $40 and available from the Y's site, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Cheese-and-Tequila-Pairing.aspx

For more information in general about public and private Joy of Cheese events, contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

So What Happened to The Joy of Cheese?

The short answer is nothing. The just slightly longer answer is Con Edison. The long answer is probably more informative. Late last year, I took a job with a soon-to-open upscale retail market and cafe on the Upper West Side. By the time the holidays rolled around, construction was nearly done and as long as we could cut through the bureaucratic red tape, we would open soon. I decided not to schedule any Joy of Cheese events until the new joint was open for fear of unnecessary schedule conflicts (say having an event on the evening that just happens to be friends and family night).
Now, do you see where the slightly longer answer enters the picture? The red tape portion of getting the place open has taken far longer than anyone except the utility might have imagined. I thought I was the pessimist by planning for a January 25 opening date.
Anyway, the place will open soon (seriously, it will!) and The Joy of Cheese will resume regularly scheduled events in late April or early May. See you then!

The Joy of Cheese October Events

Lots to report. Here’s the rundown.

October 5, 5-7:30 Cheesy Happy Hour at In Vino, 215 E. 4^th St.,

In Vino is bringing back the concept of the fromagier for a day, or well, for a Happy Hour. Starting October 5^th from 5-730 and hopefully becoming a regular event, we are starting a Cheese Plate Happy Hour. Cheese Plates of 3 will be half off, and I’ll be around to sample and discuss delights off of our fantastic list of Italian and contemporary American cheeses (I’ll probably hand out a few surprise cheeses too).

October 18 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The New Stuff.

What’s new? Please join us October 18 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St., as we will answer that question with nine of the most interesting cheeses that are new to the New York City market. Some will be domestic and others will be from Europe; all will be outstanding. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks as you go. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/203833

October 19 at 7 at Premier Cru, 1163 Madison Avenue. The Cornerstones

Please join us October 19 at 7 at Premier Cru, 1163 Madison, for a wine and cheese event called The Best Gruyere Ever and Five Other Cornerstone Cheeses. This tasting nwill focus attention on the work of leading European affineurs (masters at aging cheese) and the difference they make in familiar cheeses like Gruyere, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Stilton and others; for those unfamiliar with the work of Rolf Beeler, Marcel Petite, Neal’s Yard and others, it will be like having these cheeses for the first time again. We will sample and discuss six cheeses and they will be paired with six superb wines chosen by Premier Cru owner Michael Eigen. Tickets are $45 and available via Premier Cru, 212-534-6709.

October 26 at 7:30 at Breukelen Bier Merchants, 182 Grand St. Beer and Cheese Rules

The complex flavors and salty finishes of great, hand-crafted cheeses are a perfect match for the cane like sweetness that underpin so many of the best Belgian beers. Multiply those matches times seven and you have a very lucky evening. Please join us Wednesday October 26 at 7:30 at Breukelen Bier Merchants, 182 Grand St. in Williamsburg for a very special tasting featuring cheese from The Joy of Cheese and beer from 12% Imports. The Joy of Cheese is Martin Johnson’s roving cheese party; since 2005, he has held events all around the tri state area that focus on the wonders of the new wave of hand crafted cheese that is available to New Yorkers. Maggie Fuller from 12% Imports is one of the leading authorities on beer. She is a graduate of the University of California at Davis Brewmasters program and her company focuses on the work small producer Belgian and Scandinavian breweries. Tickets are $30 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/203767