The 5th Annual Cheesemonger Invitational went off without a hitch in New York this weekend, and it was a record-breaking night. Eataly’s Emily Acosta became both the first woman and the first New Yorker to take home the top prize (she also broke into song when she was announced the winner, which we’re guessing was another first!). We were on hand to witness the magic—check out behind-the-scenes snaps on our Instagram and our blog.
As it’s such a unique event (singing cows, anyone?) we’re always curious to hear the thoughts of other attendees. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites:
Alison Fox of AM New York was pretty psyched about all the food options:
“This isn’t your mom’s cheese and crackers: S’mores with blue cheese, graham cracker and chocolate; goat cheese with tomato and candied bacon; Gouda with tomato jam on a grits cookie.” Nope, totally right. And we wouldn’t change anything about it.
Blogger MacKenzie Smith of Grilled Cheese Social was really into the evening’s Wu-Tang Clan references — so she made some of her own (one pictured above). She’s also really into the CMI in general:
“I mean honestly, what other party have you been to where someone has a giant platter of expensive blue cheese and is trying to shove it in random peoples mouths. Totally my kind of party.” We feel ya, MacKenzie.
And then there was Gothamist‘s headline that pretty much summed it up: “So Much Cheese At The Cheesemonger Invitational I Don’t Even Know What”
Yep.
And if that’s not enough to convince you to attend next year’s event, consider this ending sentiment from Gothamist writer Nell Casey:
“For cheese lovers, it’s an event not to be missed for all the incredible samples on offer. The event also showcased the passionate world of cheesemongering and served as inspiration to get more involved at your local cheese counter. As we all know, cheese people are very passionate.”
Alicia Hahn
Alicia Hahn excels at eating and enjoys writing, crosswords, and cooking (preferably with cheese). Originally from San Francisco, she moved to Boston for school and fell in love with the city (despite an annual campaign against winter). Her favorite place to be is the farmers’ market, where she finds weird and exciting ingredients to make or break her next meal.
