South End Formaggio - A Little Bit About a Lot of Things A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

April 21, 2010 South End Formaggio

While the prices are a bit high, so is everything in the South End. I am glad that I don’t live closer because not only would I be broke from spending all my money here, I would also be 800lbs.

The shop is tiny but it is packed to the gills with all kinds of wonderful things. In the back there are pre made foods and all the cheeses, there are specialty ice creams in a freezer case, chocolates from Burdick’s and cookies from Lakota. They have sauces and wines, caramels and crackers, you could spend a whole day in here discovering new things.

I went in looking for Cobb Hill cheese but they didn’t have any. Instead, I had the Rupert from Bardwell Farms.

The cheese was a little on the harder side. I didn’t care for it as much as the Pawlett from the same farm. It had a mustier taste.

Country of Origin: United States
Region: Vermont
City / Village: West Pawlet
Type of Milk: Cow
Cheese Style: Firm
Flavor Profile: Mild
Wine Pairings: White: Full-bodied & Dry
Wine Pairings 2: Red: Lean Old World
Beer Pairings: Wheat Beer
Fruit Type (preserves): Cherry

Formaggio Kitchen’s Website says: ‘Consider Bardwell Farm is located in West Pawlet Vermont. Cheesemaker Peter Dixon (a cornerstone of the Vermont cheesemaking world) uses milk from the nearby Jersey Girl Farm to make this and all of their cow’s milk cheeses. Rupert is full-bodied on the tongue, with great sweet notes and a creaminess that is tempered by a slightly tangy finish from the Jersey cows. This cheese has one of the longest finishes of all the cheeses we carry. We’re addicted!’

I got a 1/3 of a lb. of the Mahon cheese. I loved the one that I had at Whole Foods, this one was good but in a different way.

Country of Origin: Spain
Region: Menorca
Type of Milk: Cow
Cheese Style: Hard
Flavor Profile: Strong
Wine Pairings: Red: Full-bodied Old World
Wine Pairings 2: White: Semi Sweet
Wine Pairings 3: Fortified Wines

Formaggio Kitchen’s website says, ‘Mahón is a cow’s milk cheese from the island of Menorca off the south-eastern coast of Spain. This squarish cheese comes to us in great condition with a soft but flaky texture and a flavor that is boldly salty, lightly fruity with a lingering but gentle farminess.’

We bought two really great cookies (that were from Lakota Bakery in Arlington), a shortbread and a vanilla cream cookie (like a gourmet oreo) and a couple of wonderful sea salt caramels. For $20 we felt like we had treated ourselves to something great for the weekend!