IN 1896, when the Kaune family moved from the Midwest to Santa Fe, Henry Kaune opened a general store. His philosophy: Provide grocery staples at reasonable prices, plus hard-to-find specialty goods. In 2003, Cheryl Sommer and her husband, Kurt, purchased Kaune’s Neighborhood Market, and they remain equally passionate about maintaining these values. Case in point: The shop has provided home delivery for years, allowing staff to develop close relationships with elderly and otherwise homebound customers.
Cheese buying at Kaune’s Neighborhood Market is a team effort, shared between Cheryl and Anthony Montoya. Every Wednesday afternoon, Kaune’s samples a beer, wine, or spirit alongside a food item (usually cheese). A happy hour, indeed.
culture: What local cheeses do you recommend?
Cheryl Sommer: Tucumcari Mountain Cheese Factory makes Jack cheese with green chile. (I also recommend) two riffs on triple-cream cow’s milk cheese from The Old Windmill Dairy: one with green chile and one with chipotle and spices.
culture: What’s your favorite cheese to bring to a party?
CS: Parmesan. But if I’m entertaining at home, triple creams, which I try to pair with something sweet, like apricot preserves. Or I may offer some Italian cheeses with meats, olives, and whatnot.
culture: What is the weirdest cheese pairing you’ve had—and did you like it?
CS: Nettle Meadow Farm out of New York offers a spreadable goat cheese that has lavender and honey. I’m not always partial to floral flavors but it was surprisingly delicious.
511 Old Santa Fe Trl.
Santa Fe, NM
505.982.2629
kaunes.com
Mon.–Sat. 8 a.m.–7 p.m
Jessica Mandelbaum
With a BA in Anthropology, as well as her current work towards a MA in Gastronomy, Jessica offers a distinct and eclectic perspective to the culture team. When she’s not writing about the multi-sensorial perception of flavor or force-feeding her loved ones cheese-laden meals, Jessica can be found practicing yoga, gardening, reading, hiking or spending quality time with her dog-daughter, Emmie.
