There’s a commercial that goes something along the lines of: “A party with cheese?” {Cue festive, happy music!} “A party without cheese.” {Music dwindles and stops. Whomp, whomp.} Isn’t the truth? As a cheese-lover, I find myself cheering along with the happy, festive music. Cheese really does make things wonderful!
Hy-Vee graciously treated the Rochester MN Moms Blog team to a Wine, Cheese, & Charcuterie tasting last week. When I gathered with the other mom contributors at the Market Grille at Hy-Vee West Circle Drive, there was an abundance of cheese, and a festive feeling was in the air. I had no idea what to expect, but I wanted to get to know the other moms better, so I went. I am so glad that I did!
First, let me say that I love grocery shopping. Something about being able to peruse up and down aisles for endless hours (yes, hours) and the possibility of finding awesome deals or discovering new items delights the inner parts of my soul. Since my husband and I moved to Rochester, I have loved shopping at Hy-Vee. The Hy-Vees in Rochester became even more wonderful when they were all renovated and the West-Circle store was opened. I came to love them even more when they put in designated parking spots close to the entrance for expecting and new mamas! Two thumbs up!
If you have never been to the Market Grille at any Hy-Vee store in town, I highly recommend it. After my first dining experience there with my husband, I mentioned how it didn’t even seem like we were eating at a grocery store’s diner. It was high-end, fine dining with reasonable prices. Personally, I highly recommend the Hy-Waiian burger.
When I RSVPd to attend the gathering for contributors at the West Circle store, I was excited. Like I said, I didn’t know what to expect, but upon arriving, my eyes were not disappointed. Set before us were two long tables consisting of delicious spreads of: CHEESE. Cue festive, happy music!
Creative Cheese Pairings and Fondue!
As Megan, our chef, started going into detail about the different cheeses and our food options, I could see eyes widen and smiles appear on the faces around me. Now, I knew it was possible to pair cheese with a lot of things, but sometimes my creativity stops at cheese and crackers or cheese sprinkled over a casserole.Thankfully, the chefs at Hy-Vee have a greater imagination. They did a fantastic job of creatively pairing cheese with other foods you never thought would go well together.
We had dates stuffed with satori pastoral blend and bacon, sweet potato bites with ricotta cheese, chevre ‘nduja bites, chocolate and mascarpone fondue. And for those who wanted more conventional dishes, we had a traditional fondue and a meat and cheese tray assorted with peanuts, dried fruit, and crackers that were out of this world. My personal favorite was the Jarlsberg cheese spread with pepper jelly. Chef Megan, bless her heart, generously told me which aisles in the store I could find all the ingredients to put together this deliciousness.
And Wine Makes a Festive Night With Friends Even Better!
If we weren’t spoiled enough, Chef Megan put us over the top when she brought out the wine. We had the option of trying a white wine Moscato or red wine Malbec. As someone who isn’t big into wine, I thought the Moscato was quite good.
We had a wonderful ladies’ night out at the Market Grille! It was a great break from the chaos of the week, and what better way to get to know the other moms than while eating delicious food with cheese {cue happy, festive music} and wine?
If you’re interested in a festive gathering like this, you can check the Hy-Vee Rochester West Circle facebook page for upcoming Wine, Cheese & Charcuterie classes, or you can contact Chef Megan at 1556chef@hy-vee.com to schedule a private event.
