If you're not freaked out about a giant mouse you should come visit…read more The scenery around this town is drop dead gorgeous. I would go back anytime just to drive the roads between Spring Green and Reedsburg. After our road trip we were hungry and found a giant mouse with a piece of cheese. The perfect spot for a tourist to stop in. After the must do photo op with the family outside we headed in. Wines, cheeses, sausages, crackers and sandwiches made to order. YEAH! Jackpot. We ordered a couple sammies with of course cheese. We're not talking a meager slice. It was a hunk of cheese. The husband and daughter team behind the counter were super friendly and helpful. Stop in on your next road trip, plan on stocking up on cheese curds, sausage sticks, hunks of Wisconsin goodness and a really awesome photo of yourself with a giant mouse. What's not to love about that?

I am on a crusade (assisted by my brother), a holy quest for Colby like we had when we were kids in…read morethe 60s. It was delivered by a truck that delivered Elsheimer's cold cuts from Wisconsin to the Sherman country store in rural Hardin County, IA. I have no idea where the cheese was made. It was in the large longhorn style and was firm, rubbery, sweet and slightly salty. When Mom bought a chunk we devoured it like candy. I am still hoping to find some five star Sherman class Colby. So I ordered two pounds from The Cheese Maker. This is simply not good Colby. Like others I can say I have had worse. It is a little sour, fairly mild. It is not as offensively acidic as is some. Salt is just adequate. The texture is probably its worst attribute. It is fairly gooey, devoid of the little holes that Colby should have. It is way too much like a firm Velveeta for comfort. It is a poor representation of the type and a sad substitute for the real thing. And still I won't throw out the other pound. We will use it for grating into casseroles. I understand that the rules governing the definition of Colby were changed a few years back and maybe no one makes a good product anymore. I will keep looking, but The Cheese Maker is off the list.

My husband is on the road for work, happened upon Arena Cheese a few years ago and brought home a…read moredecent sized wheel of Colby Jack cheese he scored for $4. Turns out Arena Cheese is the home of the original Colby Jack! We ended up passing by there on a recent weekend and I got to experience the place for myself. It's not a large store, but there are good things to be found. They had some great value cheese, especially if you have room for larger portions. There was also a selection of meat sticks, string cheese, and some chilled beverages. If you're nearby and looking to stock up on some cheese, watch for the mouse!

The curds are best in Wisconsin also the best Brick cheese and also got some really good beef…read moresticks. Always the best

The cheese is the best in Wisconsin. They have the best cheese curds and a super selection of all…read morebrands of cheese. One of the best businesses

I've had Hook's Cheese before, as they sell it at the Marchè in Glen Ellyn in the Chicago suburbs…read more When nearby for the American Players Theatre and looking for things to do, I figured a drive here would be something and it was only about 10 minutes away. This place is tiny! I wish I could have seen the cheese being made. I didn't realize they made blue cheese--apparently they make seven. Because I was traveling and knew it wouldn't make it back to Chicago intact, I skipped the blues and just got a a bag of fresh curds. They were so good and satiated my craving for something salty. The woman who helped me was very friendly and chatted me up about what brought me to town and whatnot. They charge a small surcharge for credit cards since they pay a fee to the company for the pleasure (that was sarcasm) of accepting them, but even though it's not a high fee I decided to go with cash. I'm glad Hook's brought me to Mineral Point because there's stuff happening in this town, and I want to come back.

Best stop ever! The…read moreselection is incredible and the staff is so friendly and helpful. The cheese curds fried and regular are off the charts!

Great place to stop for gifts and to stretch your legs after a long trip. This place is awesome,…read moreit's filled with every sort of cheese you can think of and they have legitimate hot combos here so be careful! You can also have this place ship cheese to relatives in other states. You can give them a little piece of wisconsin by shipping them great tasting cheese varieties. I asked about shipping to California and you must have a minimum of 30.00 in cheese products. There are other items here also worth looking at, there is something for everyone here.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the signature cheese of the Uplands Cheese Company, may be one of the…read moresingle most perfect hard cows milk cheese made in the US. A traditionally made cheese in the style of alpine cheeses from southwestern France, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made only during the months when cows graze on grasses, sweet clover, and wild herbs, giving their milk a depth of flavor not usually found in most cheeses from year-round milkers grazing on silage and grain. This award winning cheese (just go to their website to see how many accolades they've earned...it is simply awesome) is a favorite both here in the Midwest and all over the country. For those of us lucky to live in Chicago, it is on the menu of many local restaurants, who use it both on cheese plates and in more complex dishes. During a recent visit to Hot Chocolate on Damen, for example, I had a Pleasant Ridge Reserve-filled brioche. I think this cheese is better to eat out of hand than to incorporate in a recipe - with heating, many of the subtleties of texture and flavor are lost. Seek it out. And if you do find it in a cheese shop, make sure the piece you get does not touch plastic. Because plastic is the enemy of all cheese. If it must touch plastic, make sure you get it out as soon as possible and put in proper cheese paper or wax paper and foil. And eat it right away - it isn't going to get any better in your fridge. Uplands isn't open to the public, but if you call ahead they may just accomodate you. The trip through the lush, rolling hills of southern Wisconsin is an agrarian's dream.

I am not usually a cheese or wine person. But I had dinner with the Clandestino group (see my…read moreClandestino review) and they offered this cheese as an appetizer. OH MY GOODNESS. I think I felt a little explosion in my mouth, it was sooooooooo good. This cheese just melted in my mouth and the flavor was outstanding! Seriously, it was like buttery cheese. Maybe the cheese tasted so fresh because the owner brought it with him from WI to our dinner? I'm so happy I had a chance to try it, otherwise I might have never heard about this company!

We bought gifts for friends and cheese for us. Everything is amazing. Friendly and helpful staff…read more Definitely worth the stop.

I love coming to Carr Valley Cheese - not only for the top notch products, but because shopping…read morehere is an experience. I will spend like 20 minutes in this little shop looking at every single product they sell. All local, which I appreciate. I come here looking to buy a pound of cheddar, and leave with about 10 other products I didn't plan to buy. I always end up making a charcuterie after for all my unexpected purchases. They have so many varieties of cheddar - I ended up getting half a pound of their 2 year aged white cheddar and half a pound of soft Gouda to make the perfect mac & cheese. I also got some seasonal wildflower cheddar that I'm excited to try. This small shop is well organized and very cute, with a variety of products not limited to cheese, such as soup kits, bread kits, locally produced honey, all types of fresh butter (including goat butter), wine, and kitchen goods. And of course all your cheese fixings, such as crackers, meat sticks, several types of jams, and charcuterie boards and knives. I didn't interact with the employee working except when she greeted me when I walked in (which is always nice) and when she checked me out. She was friendly and approachable, so if I did have any questions I wouldn't feel like I was bothering her by asking (which I feel at some businesses I've been to in the past). Carr Valley Cheese is my go-to local quality cheese place for all my special cheesy meals.

Wow! If you live in the cowtropoloton area of Plain, Wisconsin, you already know about this place…read moreand probably frequent the store on a regular basis. Me? Serendipity! I live 2-1/2 hours away. I stumbled in the door because I went to Plain for Cedar Grove Cheese. (See my review of Cedar Grove Cheese.) It was closed at the time but a cheesemaker came outside to greet me and said their cheese was available at Straka Meats. I had seen a billboard for the meat market on Cty B, so I went to look for it. And I'm glad I did! The selection is overwhelming. The store is outstandingly clean and obviously well maintained. I have no reason to believe the shop is any different, which impressed me a great deal. We wound up with a mix of Straka and Cedar Grove products. Best Braunschweiger I've ever had. Seriously! I'll gladly make the trek out of my way (Plain is sort-of on the way to the family cottage) to visit Straka for brats, chops and who knows what I'll find next? Hint: If you're headed to the largest tourist trap in Wisconsin (the water park capital of the world) you're not that far away from Plain. Take a ride to Plain, visit Straka and Cedar Grove Cheese. Bring a large cooler! You'll thank me later.

Had a whole beef animal processed there. They charge $4 for "USDA" testing. That is called cost of…read morebusiness. They were significantly more expensive for processing than other meat lockers I've used. They do box it all up nicely and wrap in paper, but that isn't worth the extra cost to me. I'll go to another meat locker next year. $130 for beef slaughter, $0.85 per pound processing and then the good 'ol "USDA" testing fee of $4.00. Seriously!

Quick bite from Prem Meats = greatness! The turkey and cheese sandwich hit the spot! The bread is…read morespectacular and packed with nuts and dried cranberries. The lettuce and tomatoes were incredibly fresh. This meat shop has a lot inside to purchase: meats, cheese, jarred goods, and more. If you live nearby, you can even get food from this location catered. Highly recommend stopping by Prem Meats if you are in the area!

Oh my... we stumbled across Prem about a year ago and what a FIND!…read more We love the butcher shop vibe and the friendly family type service they provide. We've tried several of their specialties like the chicken skewers, maple/cayenne chops, as well as the brisket and short rib patties. Today we stopped in Sauk Prairie and explored the pork grillers stuffed with mushrooms onions tomatoes and provolone and they were freakishly fabulous! Do not forget to snag some of the stuffed mushrooms as sides but fair warning - they are addictive!