This guy is a nut! but a good one.
If you like cheese this *IS* the place to go. Don't hesitate to ask for help, but be aware that the shop can get really busy.
If you are new to French Cheeses, just let him/they know, and ask for fairly mild cheeses. Ask for a "Degustation"
I have clearly asked for the opposite, and clearly said "hit me!", Bernard (the owner) reached into a drawer, looked at he had ready, took the cheese and looked a me:
This is what you want! he said.
Then to prove it, slammed the cheese on a cutting board.
The cheese, An old, old Picodon, bounced back a foot up in the air: It was hard as it could be! It was was exactly what I wanted! That cheese was perfection!
Also, if you are visiting from abroad, as you are in the heart of the Alps, I am begging you to try once in life what a *real* alpine cheese can taste like. Ask for Beaufort or Conté d'alpage (Alpages are high altitude summer pastures). Once in your life, try it.
Lastly, we nicknamed the owner the "Cheese Nazi" in reference to the famous episode of the Seinfeld's Soup Nazi. He can be sometimes on the rough side, but that's only because he truly loves what he does. Show him that you appreciate his work, and he'll be the most fantastic and helpful cheese master that you can ask for.
It's true that I have seen him brush off a customer, but I must say that this customer was real AH.
Also, as an FYI, he is "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" and hold a Guiness World Record.
If you only knew the amount of work that it takes to get the title of "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" you'll understand better why he sometimes will advise you in a way that may seem a bit "too direct", but if he sees that you are truly interested, he'll go well above the call of duty to please you. read more
