A Day in My Life - Cheese Pairings, A Historic Hotel and Brochu Walker

Last week, my assistant Hannah and I set off to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to photograph an outfit or two! Burlington is a small town and there are only so many options for places to take pictures and it’s nice to get out of town every now and then! Chapel Hill is only about 40 minutes away and is such an interesting town with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill being at the center!

As we were driving, I suggested we stop in Carrboro (a neighboring town), to check out a cheese shop (called The Cheese Shop) that I had been hearing great things about! The Cheese Shop was on the way into town and we easily found it. What we didn’t realize was that it was connected to a darling restaurant and wine shop called Glass Half Full! As we went in, we quickly decided that we definitely needed to eat lunch after shopping for cheese and then we would be on our way to our next several destinations.

As is sometimes the case with a fun filled day, the plan falls to the wayside and spontaneity takes over! We stood at the cheese counter and tasted more than our share of dellcious cheeses (see below) and purchased several along with wine to go along with the cheese! This took much longer than we had anticipated, but we were getting to know the girls that were helping us and having a great time! After we finished sampling cheeses, we sat down to eat lunch and had a delicious flatbread and a hummus platter that we quickly devoured. I made a mental note to recreate the flatbread and hummus (recipe coming soon).

The point of the trip was actually to photograph the fabulous outfit I’m wearing from Brochu Walker and it ended up being a perfect outfit for this outing! As you know…Brochu Walker is my go-to brand for relaxed, elegant clothing and look certainly fits into that category! The cashmere sweater was perfect for a cooler spring day and the linen pants were a nice alternative to my usual pair of jeans! I wore sneakers with this look and later in the day while shopping, purchased a pair of raffia platform sandals by Marc Fisher to wear to The Carolina Inn for a light dinner before we headed home. The shoes immediately took this look from day to evening! My amazing gold jewelry is from Julie Vos and added a little understated bling to the look! I also cannot say enough about the Coffee Suede Tote, also from Brochu Walker! It’s so fabulous…roomy and a statement bag for sure! It would even be great for an overnight bag if you were really packing lightly!

The Cheese Shop has a small but extremely well edited selection of truly amazing cheeses! They also do educational workshops on cheeses as well as how to pair wine and cheese. I’m trying to figure out how to get back soon to learn more!

I’m surprised that I had room for lunch after tasting so many cheese, but somehow, I managed! Below is a list of the cheeses and condiments I purchased along with descriptions! It is one of my great pleasures in life to pair cheeses with interesting jams, meats, pickles and fruits, so clearly, I’m going to have a blast creating cheese boards and eating these items! I’m not even able to say that I have a favorite cheese from this list because they’re all so different. When I’m eating a certain cheese, that one is my favorite in the moment!

Lideline Cheese - Linedeline is a large format ash-ripened goat cheese. The flavor is of crème fraiche and mushrooms. Cheeses are slightly firm when young, with the paste breaking down into a nice creamline after a few weeks of aging.

Point Reyes Bay Blue - A rustic-style blue cheese with a natural rind. It is known for its mellow flavor and sweet, salted caramel finish. Delicious with toasted walnuts and honey!

Quadrello DiBufala - Quadrello® di Bufala is a water buffalo milk cheese produced by Quattro Portoni in the Lombardy region of Italy. Made from pasteurised milk, this washed-rind cheese is aged for about 40 days. It shares several attributes with Taleggio, except it is made from water buffalo milk.

Quicke’s Vintage Mature Cheddar - This savory, crumbly truckle is a shining example of English cheddar. The grass-fed, farmstead production process makes for a mature cheddar that is savory and grassy, with notes of warm butter and fresh horseradish.

Jake’s Nettle Gouda - Jake’s Nettle blend is their signature baby gouda with the addition of chives, nettle, celery, parsley, onion, and garlic! This is a soft and smooth gouda with a pleasant taste of springtime! I broke into this one last night and served it with baguette slices toasted with olive oil and flaky salt and a small slice of tomato! It was a really sophisticated take on a grilled cheese sandwich and indescribably delicious! See pictured below…

Eat This Yum Balsamic Caramelized Onions - These onions have a deep, intense flavor of caramelized onion and aged balsamic reduction. Perfectly smooth and silky, this delicious spread adds an elegant touch to any dish and is perfect with a soft brie, cheddar or most any milder cheese! I could eat this with a spoon!

Azeite Aromatico Piri-Piri Oil - The fruity and sweet aroma of this Alentejo olive oil has been subject to a highly appreciated combination. The piri-piri flavoring makes it ever-so-slightly spicy. As if the properties of olive oil were not enough, they are now multiplied by those of piri-piri, a known source of vitamins A, E and C, folic acid, zinc and potassium. This oil is an interesting addition to your condiment cabinet!

Brins Cherry Chai Jam (also just ordered Brins Rosemary Grapefruit Marmalade) - These spreads are made in small batches and contain less sugar so the flavors of the ingredients really shine! They make your cheese board (or morning toast) a real moment to remember!

One of the wines I purchased was this delicious Sancerre Rosé and it will be perfect served with our Easter lunch! I’m smoking a side of salmon and serving it as the main part of a composed salad! Recipe coming tomorrow!

Happy with my purchases and full from a fabulous lunch (see below)! We were ready to do a little shopping and head to The Carolina Inn!

If you’ve never been to The Carolina Inn, it’s a beautiful historic destination! The inn was built in 1889 and to this day is a gathering place centered around The University of North Carolina! We often meet friends there before football games and even stay the night if the game is a late one! The bar and restaurant are charming and the grounds are breathtaking!

This post was supposed to come out on Monday but it took a little longer than I had anticipated! My new website is underway and I’ve been working hard to make it everything I want it to be! It will be finished by the end of April and I’m so excited for you all to see it! It will be much easier to navigate and I’ll be able to add video! It’s a project that will be well worth the time!

Below, find a boutique of everything mentioned in this post that I could link for shopping! I do hope you’ve enjoyed reading today!