There are dreamers and then there are doers. Dreamers see things without boundaries…fully connected to reality’s potential. Doers get down to business, form a plan, and make it happen.
I prefer dreamers that do.
Sarah Dvorak, owner and cheesemonger at Mission Cheese, is just such a person…a dreamer and a doer. Not only is Sarah Lou just the best friend I have ever had…a true soul mate…she is the most passionate doer I know. As her close friend, I have had the great pleasure of observing and supporting her magnificent journey from corporate maverick (working at the GAP) to first time entrepreneur (opening her very own cheese-a-licious café in the heart of the Mission District in San Francisco.)
Quitting your job to follow a dream is no small task…it is a leap of faith…a giant step into the dark armed with passion, hope, and belief in oneself. Taking this kind of leap is a roller coaster ride. Some days you could literally do cartwheels down the street from the joy and thrill of following a dream and fulfilling a passion. And then there are the other days…you know…the days where you wake up thinking, “I don’t have a paycheck right now and my bills are due” and “what the f*** am I doing?” It is on these days…the toughest of days…where we somehow manage to carry on and, in return, learn just how strong we can be and just who to lean on…and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
How do I know all of this…let’s just say I have been there and there is no person on this earth that has inspired me to push on more than Sarah Dvorak. She lives every single moment with passion and she continues to move me to do the same. She’s a fighter, a dreamer, an adventurer, a green gilded warrior, a fellow foodie and, perhaps most of all (well at least in this particular case)…a LOVER OF CHEESE!
Sarah grew up in Wisconsin eating cheese curds and string cheese. When she moved to the Bay Area, she fully realized her love for cheese and embarked on a serious mission…MISSION CHEESE. She immersed herself in the cheese community through conferences, classes and, ultimately, “The Great American Cheese Tour,” a journey that took her on a road trip across the country to visit cheesemakers in 13 different states...giving birth to the soul of her dream.
In the beginning, it was a tireless search for the right space and the right investors to make it all happen, followed by lease negotiations, and then on to endless trips to city offices for all the permitting (and don’t even get her started on that). Not to mention the seemingly never-ending amount of manual labor and do-it-yourself projects (turns out staining concrete floors and tiling a bar are not easy tasks). Yet even on the days where she would hit road block after road block or things would come in way over budget…Sarah pushed on like a champ…with her head held high and her belly full of cheese and determination.
Why? Because she believes in an American artisanal cheese movement. Because she doesn’t want people eating mass-produced government cheese made from hormone filled dairy. Because she believes that people should care about where their food comes from and what went into making it.
Through cheese, she set out to bring the farm to the table…And she did.
This past week…Sarah brought her dream to life at long last. Mission Cheese opened at 736 Valencia Street in the Mission on Monday and I had the honor of being there to witness the first receipt being printed and dig into the first order…a big bowl of warm raclette!
While you pretty much can’t go wrong with anything you order at Mission Cheese…here are a few of my favorites:
Cheeses
- Sophia (goat)- From Capriole from Greenville, IN. Sofia is remarkable in that it's both mild and full of flavor. Milky, fresh testing, and smooth
- Raw Milk Bandaged Cheddar (cow)- From Bleu Mont Dairy in Blue Mounds, WI. Bleu Mont Dairy produces excellent cheeses from the organic milk of pasture-grazed cows. Almost candy-like in sweetness, this cheese has a smooth texture and a nuttiness that comes off very clean.
- Bonne Bouche (goat)- From Vermont Butter and Cheese in Websterville, VT. This is a hand ladled, ash-ripened cheese that is the flagship cheese of Vermont Butter and Cheese. Bonne Bouche literally means “good mouthful” and is a French term used to describe a tasty morsel….and it sure is! Smooth, creamy, and luxurious, this ashed cheese is mild but acidic enough to remind you of fresh chevre.
- Bohemian Blue (sheep)- From Hidden Spring Creamery in Westby, WI. The label says it all, "For people with artistic or literary interests who disregard conventional standards of behavior." Yes please!
Other than Cheese
- My current favorite on the menu is the California Gold Panini. Perhaps it is because I love salty pig parts. Perhaps it is because I love Della Fatorria bread. Perhaps it is because I love figs and cheese. Whatever it is…I absolutely love this Panini. A perfect combo of Estero Gold (made by Valley Ford Cheese Co.), Capricious (made by Achadinha in Sonoma), formage blanc, LaQuercia prosciutto and fig preserves. I have had 3 of these in one week…yep…love it.
- And then, of course, there is the Raclette and the Mac and Cheese. The Raclette is something you are going to have to go experience for yourself…words will not do it justice. And if you want to know more about the mac and cheese, read my first blog. All I have to say is….bowl full of warm hugs.
Here’s to you Sarah…for kicking ass and doing it with style. For having a dream and bringing it to life…and sharing it with the rest of us. For living with passion and purpose. And, most of all, for bringing the farm to the table and supporting GOOD food. You are the best of friends and the best of people. I will savor the moments at Mission Cheese (which seems to be every other day!)
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