Hello, my friends! M. Cheesemonger and I were awoken at 4:30am this morning by the smell of smoke from several large wildfires sweeping across the Sonoma and Napa. That’s where so many of our local cheesemakers are based. I hope they and their animals stay safe.
This past week was a happy one—one of the most important people in my youth made her way to California for the first time, and she was able to spend most of a day with me! She was my French teacher for maybe half of high school, and to this day, I can’t refer to her as anything other than “Madame” (even though we both “tutoie” each other now). That day, we visited the Point Bonita Lighthouse, discovered it was closed, then made our way to a park, where we discovered a horse stable and riding school!
Afterward, we made our way to a cheese oasis that has recently opened in the North Bay—Fisher’s Cheese + Wine next to the Larkspur ferry terminal. The “Fisher” in Fisher’s is Kiri Fisher, who also owns the Cheese School of San Francisco, perhaps the only venue of its kind devoted entirely to offering cheese education to both industry professionals and turophiles, AND amazing cheese-centric catering (srsly—their platters are amazing).
The nice thing about Fisher’s is that it’s a cheese shop, but also a little restaurant. There’s a tidy case of cheese, charcuterie, and a significant wine collection along the back wall, which is covered in custom wallpaper resembling a sort of rainbow pasture. Both times I’ve been to Fisher’s, I’ve noticed that a lot of people like to settle at one of the sunny tables out front, or along the counter along the back wall for a glass of wine and some nibbles. It feels like the perfect neighborhood hangout, especially if you’re a foodie.
At Fisher’s, we feasted on a variety of menu items. I love that the menu features cheese in ways that are not just cheese boards. We had a romano bean and cauliflower salad that incorporated Bellwether Farms crème fraîche; their ridiculously good salami and cheese sandwich on fresh country bread, with Red Table Francois Genoa salami, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Toma, Pepper Delight jalapeno jam, pickled red onions, and arugula; meatballs of pork and lamb with Berthaut Epoisses, creamed chard, pickled red onion, and gremolata; and Castelvetrano olives marinated with herbs, garlic, and orange peel. For dessert, we tasted the goat cheese crème brûlée, which tasted a lot like a cheese cake in crème brûlée form. I made sure nothing was wasted! Everything on the menu was on point, and all of the flavors combined perfectly to create a symphony for the taste buds. I WANTED TO EAT EVERYTHING, but alas, I couldn’t this time! We’ll have to return for sure!
So what’s next for Kiri, since she clearly has a great handle on the cheese pulse of the Bay Area? The Cheese School is going to be undergoing some changes; I don’t know if I can say what they are, but I’m REALLY excited about it!! Ahhhh, keep on the lookout, SF cheese lovers!!
If you are visiting Marin County, or live there, I would highly recommend stopping by Fisher’s Cheese + Wine for your cheese and foodie fix. I already know I need to return for the meatballs, ham + cheese sandwich, and to try the rest of their menu . . . .
Thank you, Kiri, for hosting Madame and myself, and for sharing a little bit of your story with us. I have so much admiration for entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs, and especially female entrepreneurs in food!
Delight your tastebuds at Fisher’s Cheese + Wine:
2201 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur, CA 94939
(415) 779-2201
Website: fisherscheese.com
Sun-Mon: 11am – 7pm
Tues-Fri: 11am – 9pm
Sat: 10am – 9pm
Take a class at the Cheese School of San Francisco:
2124 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Website: thecheeseschool.com
I received a free meal from Fisher’s Cheese + Wine. All thoughts are my own.
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