Where's the Cheese?

Upon my return from Spain, and after the delicious and decadent cheese adventure I had there, I decided to seek out San Diego cheese, or at least Southern California Cheese.

But alas! I have had a very hard time finding it. I have found cheese from Humbolt (Cypress Grove Chevre), and I have found cheese from Sonoma (Bellweather Farms Fromage Blanc), and I can find cheese from Spain and France and England and Holland, but in all my searching I could not find any San Diego Cheese. The cheeses above can be found at People's Co-op (www.obpeoplesfood.coop) or Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's has a good selection, too.

I have never seen San Diego cheese at the Hillcrest Farmer's Market, which is the largest farmer's market I have found in San Diego. Until Earth day 2007. For the first time I saw Southern California cheese. It wasn't from San Diego County, but it was from LA County, which is closer from Sonoma, which was all I could find until now.

Winchester Gouda is a farmhouse-style American Gouda made by Valerie and David Thomas in Winchester, California. And it is GOUD. I had never heard of "sharp" gouda before, but now I have. And I can buy it at the Hillcrest Farmer's Market.

I also enquired at my new favorite restaurant, Spread (www.spreadtherestaruant.com) about where they obtain their delivered-daily-fresh-cheese. They would only tell me the creamery doesn't sell to the public. But the owner of Spread did say "everyday more sophisticated people are moving to this town," and that means more sophisticated palates, which means when we reach a sophisticated critical mass, I will have the San Diego Cheese I am dreaming of.