Discovering Talula’s Garden

Exploring Philadelphia's cheese-centric eatery

Discovering Talula’s Garden

A not-so secret garden flourishes on Philadelphia’s fashionable Washington Square, drawing diners nightly to this cheese-centric restaurant where palates are elevated to a blissful state and spirits soar with the staff’s precision, knowledge and warmth. All seemingly delivered with little effort or fuss. And that’s just the way Aimee Olexy, co-owner of Talula’s Garden, designed it. And the way she wants her guests to enjoy it.

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Talbott & Arding – A Hudson Mecca

Gourmet cheese shop embodies an easy charm

Talbott & Arding – A Hudson Mecca

Picture a postcard-perfect, charm-filled town. On the way there, the hills roll gently and the roads are dotted with farm stands. As you enter New York’s downtown Hudson, Federal, Victorian and Queen Anne buildings are home to cute cafés, pedigreed restaurants, art galleries, antique stores and vintage clothing shops. The picturesque main drag is Warren Street, which slopes gently towards the Hudson River and boasts the gourmet shop and cheese mecca Talbott & Arding. Continue reading →

Vancouver’s Salt Tasting Room

Brave the alley and find a treasure trove of cheese pairings

Vancouver’s Salt Tasting Room

To get to Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver’s Gastown neighborhood, one must venture down a cobblestoned backstreet nicknamed Blood Alley. Located in the oldest part of the city, the alleyway’s name may conjure up frightening images of nefarious pirates or gun-wielding gangsters from Gastown’s past, but the moniker’s real origin is not that scary at all. Neither is the short walk to Salt.

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Myrtle Beach’s SeaBlue

Showcasing superb cheeses and standing out amidst an enclave of myriad restaurants

Myrtle Beach’s SeaBlue

SeaBlue, established in 2004, is the bright star in the dense restaurant constellation of North Myrtle Beach, SC, a region consistently ranked at the top of national averages for the most restaurants per capita.

An emerging fine dining culture is rising above the fried seafood buffets in the area thanks in no small measure to SeaBlue’s owners, Ken Norcutt and Tracy Smith. It’s no wonder the restaurant stands out with its ultra-sultry vibe, exceptional wine collection and tantalizing menu, which includes a sumptuous cheese board.

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NYC’s Osteria del Principe

A culinary homage to Italy’s northern Friuli region

NYC’s Osteria del Principe

As guests stroll into the dining room of Osteria del Principe on Manhattan’s East 23rd Street, one of the first sights to greet them is a large glass display case built into the counter of the restaurant’s gleaming exhibition kitchen. The cabinet prominently exhibits a cornucopia of salumi, or cured Italian meats — prosciutto di Parma, speck, mortadella, bresaola, and, not least of all, aged prosciutto di San Daniele.

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