Whether you’re crafting a cheese plate for The Bachelor viewing party you’re hosting, trying to expand your Wine Wednesday with some pairings, or it’s just a fuzzy socks/Netflix binge/cheese-to-the-face kind of day, you can’t go wrong by shopping local for your cheese at Morgan & York.
It’s easy to breeze past the Ann Arbor specialty shops, and I’m guilty of settling on Cracker Barrel sharp cheddar 9 times out of 10. But my visit to Morgan & York has made me a born-again cheese buyer (seriously, it’s that good).
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
When you walk in it looks like a coffee house, a deli counter, and a wine cellar had a beautiful, artisanal baby: it’s a neighborhood hangout with serious class. Let your nose lead you to the cheese counter (I pretty much started drooling the second I walked in), and ask for some help.
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
I was lucky enough to talk to Simone, the wife of Matt Morgan and a powerhouse cheese connoisseur: her cheese IQ is higher than my regular-functioning-human IQ. When I asked her what the crowd was like, she told me she actually had a bunch of student customers (why have you guys not told me about this place?) and that some members of the basketball team were big fans.
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
Simone told me their focus is to feature cheeses that are great right now, seasonality is a top priority. The shop encourages customers to buy their cheeses on a “small but often” basis: they hope you’ll buy smaller amounts, but more frequently. Basically, they want to take care of your cheese until the moment you’re eating it. They encourage you to ask questions, to sample their products (I had about 5 slices, totally free), and to treat your visit like a “cheese experience,” not just a transaction.
Don’t be intimidated by the price tags: you can buy as much or as little as you want, and there’s a guarantee that whatever you get is going to be top quality. Their listed price is per pound, but no one reaaaaally needs that much on the average visit.
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
I recommend trying both hard and soft variations, like their Farmhouse Brie (earthy, nutty, creamy) or their best-selling Comté (firm, sweet, classic), but you really can’t go wrong.
So here’s the bottom line: the prices are totally reasonable, the people are beautiful humans with heads and hearts that are dedicated to cheese, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. My visit was one of my favorite Ann Arbor food experiences yet, and I walked out of there a serious convert – no more Meijer Brie for me.
Basically, they freakin’ love their cheese, and you will too.