Clarification

This is the Joy of Cheese schedule blog.  More content is at www.thejoyofcheese.com.

That said.  The current sked goes a bit like this.

May 15 The Joy of Cheese Miniatures, a 45 minute cheese and wine event at Gastronomie 491
May 17 Better Than Wine, a Cheese and Beer pairing event at 92Y Uptown

June 7 a Cheese and Wine event at 92Y Uptown
June 21 Better than Wine, a cheese and beer event at 92Y Uptown

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

Finally, The News is Out!

This article was nice to wake up to.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/high-end-takeout-at-gastronomie-491/?scp=1&sq=Gastronomie%20491&st=cse

And yes, that's what I've been up to for the first quarter 2012. I think it's a very Joy of Cheese style case. So far, the following affineurs are represented in the case: Beeler, Hostettler, Neal's Yard Dairy, Madaio, Guffanti, D'Alos and the Cellars at Jasper Hill.

The Meat Case includes artisan products from Heritage (specifically the Armandino Batali salumi), Larchmont, Fra'Mani, Creminelli, La Quercia, and D'Espana (yes, a Pata Negra).

Don't get me started on the beer: Evil Twin, Hof Ten Dormaal, and Schneider are just the beginning.

The next classes are March 29 at the 92nd St Y (ticket info here, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Wine-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx), April 19 at 92Y (http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/BetterThanWine-Beer-CheesePair-1.aspx) and there will be an event in mid April probably at Kupersmith, a link to tickets will be posted here soon.

Gastronomie 491 will open on Wednesday. Come see us then!

Oh, and there is a Joy of Cheese blog that is updated daily here, http://thejoyofcheese.wordpress.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 January Events

January 17 at 7:30 at Kupersmith, 49 Clinton St. (bet Stanton and Rivington): Kind of Blue

It's a Joy of Cheese January tradition, the blue tasting. There will be firm crumbly blues and oozy, creamy blues. There will be easygoing blues and mouth-numbing blues. We'll cover all bases with seven blues and two non blues for some semblance of balance. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/218884

January 25 at 7 pm the 92nd St. Y Uptown (92nd & Lexington): A Cheese and Wine Class

I love the 92Y's droll titles. Here's the deal: 8 awesome cheeses paired with 8 amazing wines. I'll discuss the cheeses and Beau Rapier of Uva Wines and Spirits will talk about the wine. Fun will ensue. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92nd St. Y, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Wine-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

For more details, try me on thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

The Joy of Cheese December Events

The Joy of Cheese has a busy December in the works.

December 6 at 7:30 at Kupersmith, 49 Clinton St.: The Best of 2011

It's time for end of the year wrap ups, so why not sample the nine most interesting cheeses of 2011 that are available presently. Please join us Tuesday December 6 at 7:30 at Kupersmith (the gastropub formerly known as Clerkenwell), 49 Clinton St., for The Best of 2011 (I know, I know, not the most original title). Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks separately. Highlights should include Rush Creek, Rogue River Blue, some fantastic Belgian goat cheeses and much much more. Tickets are available via this link, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/213097

December 7 at 7 at the 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington: Cheese and Wine

It's that simple, eight phenomenal cheeses eight stellar wines, two hours of discussion about each separately and the eight pairings we choose. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92Y site, http://www.92y.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=72983

December 15 at 7 at the 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington: Cheese and Whiskey

Hey, why not live a little dangerously? At this event, we will offer one cheese and beer pairing, one cheese and wine pairing and four cheese and whiskey pairings. You've been warned. Tickets are $40 and available at the 92Y site, http://www.92y.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=73106

The Joy of Cheese November Events

Tuesday November 8 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Swiss Cheese Conspiracy

It’s time for fondue (I know for some it’s never not time for fondue, but I digress), and that’s a good time to explore the nutty wonders of alpine cheeses, some from alpine regions and some not. In addition there’s a lot more to the Swiss cheese and firm cheeses that melt well; we’ll explore some of the best soft cheeses from this tradition as well. Overall, we’ll explore eight or nine cheeses. Tickets are $25 (you pay for your drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets,http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/209707.

Wednesday November 9 at Premier Cru, 1169 Madison Avenue (85th St.): The Six Best Cheeses for Holiday Entertaining.

Yes, it’s that time again too. Please join us at Premier Cru, one of the Upper East Side’s most gracious wine boutiques, for a stellar tasting of six cheeses that will pair nicely with holiday beverages. Each of these six cheeses will be paired with a wine chosen by Premier Cru owner Michael Eigen. The fun begins at 7. Tickets are $45 and available via Premier Cru, 212-534-6709.

Also on November 17 at 7:00, Maggie Fuller and I will lead a Beer and Cheese class at the 92nd St. Y. We will pair eight small producer Belgian and Scandinavian beers with eight exceptional cheeses and sample and discuss each. Tickets are $40 and available via this link, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/BetterThanWine-Beer-CheesePair-1.aspx