Some friends walk in and out of your life, like the gentle passing of the seasons. And then there are other friends that stay with you, become part of your being…becoming almost as integral to life as the air you breathe.
Oliver Dameron is just such a friend. A man who is just the right amount of serious in serious times…gives just the right amount of love at all times…is always convincing you of some fun filled adventure or accepting the challenge when you convince him of one…a man with a heart the size of an elephant and who can fill a room with laughter just when you need it.
Some people you meet and, through the natural passing of time, you become friends. It is often casual and un-intentional.
Not with Oliver. He makes a choice to be your friend and, as such, his friendship is wonderfully intentional and meaningful. Once you have created the bond of friendship with Oliver, he gives of himself fully and loves you through thick and thin….and you can feel it...without question. It is a blessing and a delight to walk along the same path as Oliver, sharing in one of life’s most beautiful gifts: true friendship.
Last night, as with many of my nights, I got to share in the celebration of life, love, food, and friendship with my dear companion, Oliver, for his 33rd birthday at the soon to be open, Mission Cheese (which just so happens to be opening next week!)
As with so many amazing people that walk this earth, I find that they are often surrounded by other amazing people...which was truly the case last night…a room filled with wonderful people, wonderful memories, years of friendship and, most of all, CHEESE. Oliver’s friends, from all his walks of life…from his family, to old pals from Australia, to fellow graduate school students, to San Francisco buddies, to biking companions, to work friends, to old roommates, to friends of Sarah (his kick-ass fiancé, one my best friends and the little lady behind Mission Cheese)…all coming together to eat cheese and be merry. And boy, were we merry…
So let’s get down to business…the food at hand:
The best damn Mac and Cheese ever. Period. Done deal:
Mac and cheese is only as good as the cheese you use. And Sarah’s mac and cheese (soon to be discovered by the masses at Mission Cheese), does not disappoint. It is the perfect mix of buttery, sweet and tangy cheeses…and all from some of the best cheese-makers this side of the Mississippi.
Sarah starts with Fiscalini clothbound cheddar, true American farmstead cheddar that sings with a luxurious balance of buttery, grassy, and savory flavors. She then adds Cowgirl Creamery wagon wheel, an everyday cheese made with milk from neighboring Straus Family Creamery in Point Reyes…adding a nice mild, and sweet milk flavor. Finishing it off with a touch of capricious, a semi-hard aged cheese. Add in some nutmeg and cayenne for a hint of spice…and bam…DELICIOUS CHEESY GOODNESS.
Baked in their own individual cast iron skillets…they come out crispy around the edges and full of melty, oozing goodness in the middle. This is one of the best mac and cheeses this girl has ever tasted…hands down. It is not to be missed. I have spent many years in the kitchen with Sarah Lou, enjoying many bowls of mac and cheese, and I can safely say that she has really perfected her recipe…just in time for the opening of her beautiful shop, Mission Cheese!
It is like eating a bowl full of warm hugs…it fills your tummy with love and keeps on giving long after the last morsel has been devoured. It brings a smile to my face to see a room full of adults go completely speechless after biting into something truly magical…exactly what happened as we laid skillets of mac and cheese around the bar. People were grabbing forks left and right and their hearts were melting with every savory bite.
Panini’s…hot off the presses.
To compliment the cheese, we thought it would be a good idea to add…you guessed it…more cheese (it is a cheese shop after all!)
Combine artisan bread (you know the kind with a soft center and carmel-ly crispy crust a la Tartine’s country white bread), the perfect mix of white cheddar and formage blanc, and some whole grain mustard…and what do you get? One heck of a buttery, cheesy, and simply scrumptious panini.
No matter what you add to spice up your panini…whether you throw in some spicy arugula, some delicious fig chutney, or salty pig parts (pancetta please!)…once you have the right combo of bread and cheese…then voila’...a tasty toasted sandwich.
And, after last night’s panini extravaganza, I can’t wait to see all the mouth-watering combinations Sarah has in store for us at the shop!
Top off the party with some more bread from Della Frattoria, a few Dark n’ Stormy’s (Oliver’s favorite libation), some IPA from Lagunitas…and the night quickly turned into a hat-filled dance party (courtesy of James Rogers, who brought every hat he has ever owned…and, trust me, he owns a lot).
There was some priceless “dancing on the bar to Stevie Wonder” moments (thanks to our dearest Jordan Blackman for rocking the tunes) and a girls dance-off to “Good Vibrations”…yep, that happened.
Between singing happy birthday to Oliver…twice or three times (I can’t remember?)…raising our glasses to give three cheers for his life and friendship…and finishing the night off with at least an hour of “shake face” photo contests (I won’t even try to explain)…I think it is safe to say that we came, we celebrated and we left far past our bedtimes with belly’s full of cheese and cheeks sore from laughter.
Here’s to you Oliver…thanks for your friendship and filling my cup full of love…to the many meals and hat parties to come…I will savor every moment.
picture to come....
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