Of all the relatively accessible foodstuffs and drinkables, cheese may be the most complex and alchemical. So, regulars at the Santa Barbara Cheese Shop may already feel as if they’re part of an insider’s club.
It’s an educational experience to peruse the cases and shelves for the latest selections while listening to proprietors Michael and Kathryn Graham explain the animals, processes, and aging methodologies involved in each creation. Similar stories spill forth about the wide range of charcuterie and the pantry items on offer, leading to the sense that you’re cracking ancient codes on the way to epicurean excitement.
But this month, the Cheese Shop, which the Grahams originally opened in 2003 as C’est Cheese, launched an official subscription club for their most diehard cheeseheads, opening the doors to even more obscure discoveries at a monthly clip…