Cheese

There’s a quiet authority to a well-handled piece of cheese—something Food & Wine Magazine captured beautifully in their March 2026 feature, “More Cheese, Please.” Not indulgence for indulgence’s sake, but a reminder: cheese, when treated properly, is not an accessory—it’s the lead. “with artisan cheese makers in every corner” I love the idea and took that lesson to heart.

Buying cheese is less about the label and more about intent. A wedge of aged Parmesan isn’t just a garnish waiting to be grated into anonymity—it’s structure, salt, and story. Served right, it stands on its own. Cooked right, it transforms everything around it.

Which brings us to the plate.

Parmesan, coaxed into crisp stand alone croutons—golden, nutty, with just enough bite to remind you it once lived as a wheel aging in quiet patience. Paired with a salmon medallion, tender and deliberate, and finished with a beurre rouge that walks the line between richness and restraint. The kind of dish that doesn’t shout—it nods knowingly.

And somewhere between the first bite and the last, the nod came back across the pass.

“Cooking to French.”

Not a declaration, but a quiet bestowal from the executive chef. A recognition that technique had met respect—respect for the ingredient, for the method, and for the tradition that insists simplicity is only earned through precision.

Cheese, it turns out, isn’t just something you add.

It’s something you rise to.