After being a part of a remote yelp event where I learned about Mary and her shop, I made an hour-and-a-half trip to visit Cheeses & Mary to meet her and get my hands on that dairy.
Tucked away in charming Milton, Cheeses & Mary is a small shop selling a curation of small-batch cheeses and the appropriate accouterment (jellies, crackers, nuts, charcuterie, cheese boards and knives, the occasional home decor piece, etc.) *Note: January is a slower time for the cheese industry (lol, New Years diets), so the shop was not stocked as full as it is the rest of the year.* Even still, I had way more options for cheeses than I could try in one trip.
CHEESES:
Y'all, I spent over $90 on treat-yo-self foods. Granted, I only bought 2 cheeses for myself then 5 others for friends who asked me to pick something up for them (and a bag of crackers), but what bougie life is this?! Each cheese I asked about and bought was $8-$14.
I'll have to update later with my reviews of the actual cheeses I bought, but here's what you'll me from me about later:
* **Green Hill Camembert from Sweet Grass Dairy (double cream, bloomy rind)
* **Thomasville Tomme from Sweet Grass Dairy (a shop favorite, a "cheese for everyone," and apparently great on grilled cheese sandwiches (as recommended by Mary))
and if my friends let me taste the cheeses I got them, I'll be able to tell you about...
* **Asher Blue from Sweet Grass Dairy
* Norwood from Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese (a shop favorite)
* Apricot ginger chèvre from Mackenzie Creamery ($8 for a small pot of goat cheese with a kind of jam on top)
I also got to sample the following (and one more I forgot to make a note of), all of which I loved:
* Carpenter's Wheel goat cheese - hard cheese which reminded me lightly of blue and parm
* Fredonia from Sequatchie Cove Creamery - Mary said it was similar to a stilton, but it reminded me of Roquefort. Creamy, buttery, salty, moldy.
* Barnburner - smoked cheddar with a beautiful deep orange color and creamy consistency in the hardness, this one had a nice smoky flavor I would love to have on a cheese board with other tastes! This reminded me of my childhood somehow, I think because this is how I want all my cheddar to feel and taste like. (Writing this review now, I regret not buying any to bring home with me!)
**All double asterisk cheeses were part of the sampler box Mary put together as an optional purchase for guests from the yelp event I was a part of and all of them were highly rated by folks in the Zoom chat. I also have it on good authority that the Get Back Jack pimento cheese from Proper Pepper Pimento is great, which was another yelp event cheese, I just didn't buy it myself this time.
Sweet Grass Dairy and Proper Pepper Pimento are Georgia, by the way. Mary loves supporting local makers and small businesses with her work.
SERVICE:
Mary was wrapping up some wheels she had cut into and gave me bites of everything before putting them away! I felt so cared for, like I was in her own home and she was offering me treats for the journey home. It was like spending time with my favorite aunt. She told me to "drive safe" on my long way home, and it put such a smile on my face.
Mary is very passionate and knowledgeable about cheese and especially about the cheesemakers she works with. You can read some more about my experience with her during a remote yelp event here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cheesy-does-it-with-cheeses-and-mary-alpharetta?hrid=qCtV0TG226l_cBdJX4u9Hw It was actually during this event that I decided I *must* visit the shop at my earliest convenience. It's very much out of the way for me, but my time in the shop with Mary felt like a break, a true rest, from the travel and day-to-day. It was lovely chatting with her and getting to learn about the creameries and cheeses in her shop. I asked her about another cheese she didn't carry that I knew nothing about but had seen all over Instagram (Humboldt Fog), and she spilled all the details about why it was so popular.
Cheeses & Mary would love to provide you with any special trays and plates, pairings and recommendations, or the usual fancy cheese treats. The shop can also host private events and hosts events like wine pairings that are open to the public.
LOGISTICS:
There is free lot parking and restrooms are available. The shop is only open to the public (during covid times at least) Friday & Saturday 12:00 - 5:00 PM or by appointment. And, they do ship from online orders! Just get in touch with them to set something up.
If you're trying to get in touch with the shop, don't use social media. Reach out at the email at the bottom of the website or give them a call.
COVID:
Mary wore a face shield during our time talking and used gloves when handing the cheese samples. Masks were worn by all in the store when I was there, and there were hand sanitizer wipes at the counter
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I loved my visit to Cheeses & Mary, and if you like cheese, I can promise that you'll love it there, too. read more