Nichol's Personal Blog #2

This year I went to the state fair. I hadn't gone in years, and I remembered very little besides the rancid odor. This year, after spending a lot of time in Coalville, I was able to look past the malodorous stench and enjoy everything else the fair had to offer. Booths line the walkway, selling everything from handwriting on grains of rice to scrap metal signs. I was also able to see Sea Lions for the first time in my life. Local bands played in a gazebo in the middle of the grounds. It was a very welcome change from the daily routine.

Nichol's Personal Blog

I have a problem.

I am hopelessly addicted to books. I often find myself drawn to shop windows in which books are displayed. This being said, it was really only a matter of time before I found Sam Weller's.

I found it a couple of years ago, and have been held captivated since. When you first walk in, you are often greeted by the cashier. Chairs are strategically placed throughout the store, tempting you to spend hours turning the pages of one of their hundreds of books. Unlike franchise bookstores, new books are placed next to antique books on their shelves.

This is by far one of my favorite places in Salt Lake City.

Personal Blog 2 - TRAX RAWX

Josh Southwick
Personal Blog # 2

Every teenager dreams of getting their driver’s license, cruising around town in a new car and the freedom that comes with it. I was fortunate enough to have this privilege, and it made traveling during my high school days a breeze. That’s why I was worried I would lose that freedom when I came down to the U, as I wouldn’t be taking the car down with me. I was given a surprise awakening when I discovered the ease of TRAX and Utah’s public transportation system.

Fearing I had lost my freedom to travel wherever, whenever, was something that made me hesitant to give up the car. I knew Salt Lake had extensive public transportation as a part of its infrastructure, but I had never ridden it before and I was afraid I would be dashing to my classes with little time to spare. All of my fears were put to rest after my first week here at the University. The campus shuttles are definitely a life-saver, enabling students to get anywhere around the U in nothing more than a few minutes. UTA’s TRAX system has stops at all of the key areas around the city, which is really convenient for a Friday night movie or a weekend trip to a restaurant. And since the shuttles come every 10 minutes and TRAX every 15, you are never waiting too long for a way to get to class (or a movie) on time.

Of course, one of the benefits to a car is having the ability to travel anywhere, anytime. But the public transportation in and around campus is convenient enough to make the advantages of a car seem marginal at best. Plus, you don’t need to worry about paying for expensive parking passes and, for that matter, finding a place to park on a crowded night.

The best thing about the public transportation? No longer having to pay for gas, those high prices were a bitch.

Personal Blog 1 - Life in the MUSS

Josh Southwick
Personal Blog # 1

Here at the University of Utah, a proud tradition of excellence and achievement has been established in the classroom, in the research lab, and even on the field. Our sports programs are recognized nation-wide for their success, most notably our gymnastics squad and the football team, which became the first “BCS buster” in 2005 when it went to the Fiesta Bowl and defeated Pittsburgh on that New Year’s Day. The U’s athletic programs have continued to distinguish themselves from the pack and prove they can compete with the best.

I have enjoyed playing and watching sports since I was a little kid, with football and basketball being my two favorites. So I made it a priority that once I arrived at the U, I would immediately sign up for the football team’s student section, called the MUSS (Mighty Utah Student Section). The season opened with an adrenaline-pumping overtime win against our old friends, the Pittsburgh Panthers, who were ranked in the top 25. We went on to crush almost every team in our path, defeating the next seven teams by an average of over 35 points.

Soon we reached the premier game of the season when we faced TCU, ranked as the third best team in the nation. ESPN’s College Gameday held that week’s broadcast from Salt Lake City for the highly anticipated match-up between two potential BCS busters. Essentially, the game would determine which team from the Mountain West was going to break into the BCS this year. Waking up early for the broadcast, I and many other Ute fans were cheering and shouting into the network’s cameras, waving our homemade signs that read, among others, “All We Do Is Wynn” and “We Mess With Texas”. As the game approached, excitement grew and everyone gathered outside the stadium for a spot in line. Kickoff began in the late afternoon and the deafening roars of the crowd only added to the intense atmosphere. The noise alone told you this game was important. Unfortunately, as the game went on, the Utes failed to put up a fight and finished the contest disappointed with the loss.

Although the team had suffered two consecutive losses (against TCU and Notre Dame), hopes were high for the end of the season. Everything came down to beating that blue team from Provo, nothing else mattered. A win against BYU would mend the wounds gained from the painful games from a few weeks before. The rivalry that defines Utah football was played the week of Thanksgiving, a time characterized by “food, family, and football.” Always an exciting game, it started off with the crowd just as loud as before, perhaps even more so, as we felt rejuvenated and prepared to face our rivals to the south. The visitors started by scoring throughout the first three quarters, and the Utes failing to get in the endzone.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, the U’s luck began to change. The team fought back, and capitalized off of BYU’s mistakes and turnovers. With a few minutes to go our school was up 17-16, but our opponents had the ball. They took it down the field, setting up an easy field goal that would give them the win. With only four seconds left in the game, BYU hiked the ball, and the kicker moved forward to boot in the victory. As he jogged up to the placeholder, the U’s cornerback Brandon Burton extended his arm and swatted the kick away. He didn’t just tip the ball or get enough to knock it off course – it was a full-handed swat. The kind that immediately sends the crowd into crazed celebration: screaming, jumping and high-fiving all around. It was difficult to even talk to the person right next to you with the shouts and cheers reaching incredible levels, but that is what a student section is supposed to be like. So loud, so crazy, and so enthusiastic that it becomes impossible to think of anything other than the joy of a victory and the passion for your school’s team. This year in the MUSS, through all of its ups and downs, is something I won’t soon forget.

Now as the team prepares for its bowl game against Boise State, I can no longer look forward to the Saturday game days and the camaraderie felt amongst the fans for their team, at least not until next year. With it being my first year here at the University of Utah and my first year as a part of the MUSS, I enjoyed the experience and plan on joining our team in the stands for the rest of my time here. Our last game was definitely a perfect ending to the U’s last season in the Mountain West Conference, and one that I will remember for a long time.

Jackson Myrick’s Personal Blog #2: It’s a Wonderful Day in This Neighborhood

There are some places in the world that call to the individual, bidding them to drop the pen and smooth the rough edges of a hectic schedule. For me 15^th East and 15^th South is one such place.

The street is situated in the midst of a mainly residential area within Westminster Heights, the monotony of living quarters broken only by Westminster and 15^th and 15^th. Monotony is not quite the right word however; spectrum is more appropriate. There is a gloriously relaxed feel to the individual streets, despite the imposed order of the grid system and the relatively narrow width which makes parking difficult. Whether that peaceful demeanor should be attributed to the style of houses, coloration, or the intimate nature of construction remains unknown, perhaps because it is an amalgamation of all three traits.

As you drive down 14^th south and enter the small little strip of shops that makes up 15^th and 15^th the canopy of trees thins out and opens into the street, a visually striking feature that always convinces me to take that road in. Each time I go there I wander about the establishments, peeking inside of Mazza to see how crowded it is or checking in on my friends at Caputo’s to see if they have some new cheese I may sample before settling into the comforting atmosphere of The King’s English. The entire strip has a vibrant placidity about it, an good natured amicability that permeates the cold face of business. It is within these nooks and niches that radiate warm smiles I begin to feel entirely at ease and drift into a dreaming state where my normally tempestuous mind and biting words regress to a meditative mellowness the memory of which makes me wistful that I cannot attain it at will. The location has ceased to function as a shopping venue and instead exists as an extension of the surrounding neighborhood, whose occupants welcome strangers over their threshold with sincerity and warmth.

Personal Blog 2-Kortnie Walker

Dear Personal Blog,

Unlike Brad, I’d be happy to share my Temple Square experience

Since I’m new to Utah and Salt Lake City, last night was the first time I’d ever seen the Christmas lights at Temple Square and they were awesome. I loved seeing all of the pretty colors and the pretty lights they had floating in the reflection pool. The temple looked even more beautiful, and I’m grateful for all of the hard work people put into making the grounds look so wonderful.

However, my favorite part was people watching. It was really funny to see how many people were out on dates, and a good majority were probably LDS. I had a hard time finding people that could take pictures of my friend Taylor and I since you can’t really ask people that are on a date. That’s just weird.

After we perused Temple Square and took some marvelous pictures, we hopped on TRAX and headed back up to the U.

Personal Blog # 2- Decades by Natalie Meadows

In preparation for Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween night, my roommates and I ran frantically around Salt Lake City in search of "uniquely appropriate" attire. In our quest we stumbled upon a store known as Decades on South State Street.

I was immediately quite taken with this shop. As a vintage store Decades offers everything from colorfully striped down jackets from the 1970's to dresses with poofs and ruffles galore that must have been from the 80's. This store has a very unique feel to it, as it seems to take the roll of a classy secondhand shop. The store has nearly every type of style to offer. I often found that a large proportion of their merchandise would make for an excellent addition for any costume party, however in addition to these somewhat outrageous outfits there was also a substantial amount of items that could be worn with nearly any everyday outfit. I was a little disappointed to find out however that this store isn't really a haven for struggling college students. Being that these clothes were considered "vintage" prices were relatively high on nearly everything in the store. Despite this fact, I still find this store extremely entertaining and enjoyable. I believe its an excellent place that reminds us of Salt Lake Cities history, as it is located on State Street which is somewhat known for its traditional stores and signs.

Personal Blog #2 by Devan Bobo

This is Devan Bobo on Nichol's account because I can't get mine to work.

Christmas Market:

For my City as Text group's last walkabout we had the Downtown Alliance website. On it I learned about the Christmas Market that was being held at the Gateway. My roommates and I decided to go see what kind of businesses were there.

When we got there it was kind of late but there were a ton of businesses still there. My personal favorite was a little set up called The Eclectic Edge. This booth was full of jewelry that was made from old spoons and forks. Now I had seen some of this type of jewelry before but never so intricately done as these were. The tines on the fork were carefully curled and bent to make beautiful patterns and each bracelet or ring had stones or other things on them that gave each one a unique look. Not a single piece of jewelry I saw looked the same.

There was also a booth full of handmade books and journals. Each book was designed differently from different materials, including one made from an old Scrabble board! This was a family business and the son had made chain mail bookmarks.

My least favorite booth was one that was selling real fur hats and other clothing. I personally thought they smelled funny and didn't spend too much at that booth.

I'm really glad that my last walkabout helped me to see that Christmas Market was going on beacuse I had a really fun time walking around seeing what cool things were being sold.

Personal Blog #1 by Devan Bobo

Hi this is Devan Bobo using my roommate's account because mine won't work for some reason.

Gallivan Center:

Gallivan Center is one of my favorite stops on the trax line. Not only is it the stop where most people transfer to and from the University, Sandy/Murray, and Downtown lines but it is on a street that is full of stores on one side and the Gallivan Plaza on the other. In the past years, I have really loved going to the Twilight Concerts that were held there and even though they have been moved to Pioneer Park I will always associate the concerts with Galivan Plaza. When I last visited Gallivan Plaza there was a lot of construction going on around the ice skating rink and stage area. I was happy to see that the ice rink has been moved slightly east and is now being used again!

On the opposite side of the street my favorite store is Sam Weller's. It is the totally awesome books store that is full of super old books. I love to go in there and just browse all the shelves with no real intention in mind. I have found so many old, interesting books that are super cheap. Recently I bought an old Recictations book for $1 it doesn't have a date in it that I can find but it is full of old english sayings and spellings. The stories in it are so cute and really fun to read!

If you haven't already taken the time to explore the Gallivan Center stop I say set some time aside and walk around!

Personal Blog 2: Salt Lake City in Winter/Living Without a Car

I have only lived in Salt Lake City since the end of August, and have moved here without a car. I reside on the University of Utah campus. Living without a car has presented me with some challenges in transportation, but has also helped me to discover many aspects of the city which I would not have known if I had spent most of this time traveling around in my own personal metal box.
I absolutely love Trax. It took me about a month to get over the anxiety of getting to the Trax stop on time, before I realized that I just need to budget time into my trip, knowing that Trax tends to run sporatically. Using trax to travel downtown has really allowed me to spend time looking out the window onto 400 South and the downtow area. I thoroughly enjoy the people I meet on Trax, wether it is the rowdy croud that jams in after football games, the University students making their way to, and leaving campus, the vagabonds that tend to congregate around the public library stop, the teeny-boppers who enter and exit by the Gateway, or the commuters that make the trek to the Sandy Line or to the Frontrunner train.
I have gotten on and off trax on every single stop on the downtown to university line, for various purposes. Trax passes by a lot of things that are ethier necessary or just enjoyable to my downtown experience. I have also used trax to get to Sandy and other points in southern Salt Lake. From the transportation hub, I have taken various busses to areas of the Salt Lake valley, and have also taken the Frontrunner train to Ogden, Roy, and Woods Cross. Trax has proven very valuable in my transportation experience, and influential in where I choose to spend time and do my business.
Biking in Salt Lake is a completely different culture than it was where I was growing up in Iowa. In Iowa, there is rarely such thing as a bike lane, and even rarer, a biker using that lane. In Iowa, I used my bike for transportation throughout neighborhoods, and for country bike rides. In Salt Lake, bikers are seen as just another form of everyday transportation, and much more things are made accomadatable to bikes. Even on busy streets, I have been able to navigate my bike with ease due to specially built lanes, turn lanes for bikes, and general awareness of drivers. Because of the ease of the grid system, I have ridden my bike out to Sugar House without trouble, and experienced bike lanes the entire way.

Personal Blog: 2 Jazz Game vs. Grizzlies

Yesterday, my old high school medical anatomy teacher and I went to go watch the Utah Jazz play the Memphis Grizzlies. I took the ever convenient TRAX down to the stadium stop, and walked the other ten yards to the stadium itself. There I met up with my friend and we bought our tickets and went into the Energy Solutions Arena. It was a marvel to behold, everyone in green and white and chanting go jazz go. We took our seats close to the top of the stadium and then talked about the different NBA teams this year, how they're faring and who will be dangerous come playoff time. The Grizzlies, with their star Gasol, kept close to the Jazz for three quarters, but in the fourth Deron Williams started pulling the Jazz away, giving them a 15 point lead, and they eventually won the game by 9 points. As the game ended streamers flew down from the ceiling making me happy inside. Afterwards I walked back to the TRAX stop and then back to my room. Great success!

Personal Blog #1: Impressions of a New City/Summer

Although visiting the University of Utah this past July for orientation was not the first time I had been in Salt Lake City, it was the first time I had been there in warm weather or had spent very much time exploring. I had visited Salt Lake the previous March over spring break for both university students and myself. The weather was still cold and there was a substantial amount of snow on the ground. THat visit consisted of a day-long tour of campus, a day spent at the slopes, a visit to Temple Square, and a visit to the ballet. I did not spend much time observing or discovering the mood of Salt Lake CIty, and can only remember it being cloudy and cold. Since it was spring break, it was difficult to catch the mood of campus or what types of people went to school at the U.
The summer of 2010 was my first real time spent exploring the city, the campus, and meeting people that went to school at the University. THe first significant impression I had of Salt Lake City was the geography leading up to the city. When I had visited previously, I had flow, therefore I was clueless as to how far the Wasatch Range extended or even what the land looked like between Iowa or Salt Lake. before visiting the previous March, I had never been west of Iowa at all, and before this summer orientation road trip, had never driven west of Iowa. On this road trip, I was surprised a how relatively littile mountainous territory we passed on Interstate 80 before reaching Salt Lake. There seemed to be a little less than an hour or two where we were actually driving through mountains. Driving really gave me a perspective on how the land changes across the mid west to western United States. Immediately after entering Salt Lake for the second time, I had an entirely different perspectie of where I was located in the country.
My next experience with Salt Lake City wasn't actually the downtown area, but was the neighborhoods in western Salt Lake, inbetween the airport and the county fairgrounds. I had never previously experienced any of the more run down areas of Salt Lake, and I noticed a lot of foreign, especially Latino, people. Western Salt Lake City seems almost like an entirely different city than the areas around campus and downtown because of the differences in wealth, architecture, ethnicity, and the flatness of the area. I went running around this area and noticed first hand more trash on the streets, differences in languages, and businesses that catered to different types of people than the people who shop in the downtown area.
Spending additional days on campus in warm weather gave me a new vibe on how people utilized the campus. Walking around to different buildings versus previously mainly takint the bus gave me a new perspective as well. Staying in the dorms helped me to imagine where I would be living throughout the school year.
Before my summer visit ended, I had the chance to walk around great amounts of the downtown area and visit many unique businesses. I was excited to learn of culture of Salt Lake City and found out about things such as concerts in the park and various other attractions. Since it was summer, I witnessed more people walking around the streets, and was excited to see many different types of cultures and styles represented.
I also got to see some of the southwest suburbs of Salt Lake, because we made a driving trip out to see Kennecott Copper Mine. Driving through places such as West Jordan and Draper gave me a view of some newly developed places and the starkness of undeveloped areas of the valley.

Personal Blog #2

Individualizing SLC From the Rest

by Krystal Villanueva

In no way am I an artistic person. Unless you can call my barely mediocre drawing and constant doodling or my few years of piano lessons when I was younger and further attempts at being musically inclined artistic. Regardless, I do have a great appreciation for art. From photography and paintings to music, I enjoy it all.

Salt Lake City is definitely one artsy place. Various murals can be found nearly everywhere, sometimes in the most random places (like on the side of the Capitol Theatre down the alley). Everything in the city is made artsy in some way. When you stand at either end of a crosswalk downtown, you’ll notice the clever “LOOK” painted on the street. Of all the places I’ve been to, this is the first time I’ve seen that. I remember the first time I saw it, I was so amused by it.

Down by the gateway, there is a huge mural imitating the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s

Lonely Hearts Club album cover. The first time I saw this was actually on the way back from our first walkabout, which was the Farmers’ Market at Pioneer Park. I really liked it for a few reasons. One, it’s the Beatles. Two, it was huge! Definitely something hard to miss. And three, the way it was made as Salt Lake City’s own, exchanging “Sgt,” for “SLC.” My dad is a fan of the Beatles’ so I took a picture of it and sent it to him. He definitely appreciated it as well.

Music tends to be a great part of the city, as it should be in any downtown district. At the Farmers’ Market, there were plenty of people playing music. Whether it was a little girl playing a guitar that was nearly as big as her or a fairly young band playing covers of well known music with a folk twist, music could be heard from all ends of the market. I really enjoyed this as I’ve been raised around music. My dad and brothers are pretty musically inclined, so while I’m not (though I wish I was), I take after my dad’s deep appreciation for all kinds of music.

The artsiness and cleverness of SLC makes it so much more appealing to me as well as to others I’m sure, especially if it’s your first time visiting. It makes it so much more

enjoyable to take a trip downtown with the inviting colors and fun music. It creates a certain vibe; a vibe that brings a peace of mind and comfort...if you enjoy this particular kind of atmosphere, that is. The artistic flavor of the city individualizes it not only from neighboring cities, but also from cities in neighboring states and beyond.

Personal Blog: 1

On September 4^th Jackson and I decided to take a stroll down to good old Sandy to go watch none other but the great team Real Salt Lake play the famous New York Red Bulls. This game was particularly special because New York had just acquired former Barcelona and French international captain Thierry Henry. Our trip started by taking TRAX at the Fort Douglas station, and from there we got off at Gallivan Plaza and transferred onto a Sandy Train, after that we sat on the train until we reached the Historic Sandy Stop. Then, like giddy kids who can't contain their excitement we walked over to the stadium, a mere half mile away. We got there right in the middle of Carnival Real, a party set up for the kids to play various games and meet the mascots, etc. Then we checked our tickets, and we were off into the stadium to see the beauty of the facility built only two years ago. We got into our seats and soon we started looking around for the master of football, Henry himself. We found him in the middle of his warmup with some team mates and right off the bat you could see his finishing prowess. Then we took a look at Real Salt Lake and they also looked rather sharp, obviously both of us were going for RSL to get the W here at the impenetrable fortress that is the Rio Tinto. The game soon started, and in the 9^th minute RSL super striker Fabian Espindola made a great hustle play and managed to chip it over New York's goalkeeper and put Salt Lake up 1-0, to the delight of the home fans who set the place alight with celebrations and singing, not all sober of course. To our dismay that was also the final scoreline of the game, but to our great pleasure RSL collected three points for the win, and we went home happy, having seen an international soccer super star and our favorite MLS team won.

Personal blog 2: The Gateway

For my second personal blog I visited the gateway. Twice. The first time was just for a small amount of time though, as it was when the Honors floor got tickets to see the harry potter movie. Even though I was just walking through the gateway for a little bit, I was able to notice a few things. The most striking thing that I saw was that (besides us moviegoers) there were only families in the gateway. There were also very few people there, as I only saw 3 families.

I went later to both view the gateway in greater detail and to compare what I saw originally to what I would see when I went there at another day. It was still night, but there were considerably more people around. And this time around, it wasn't all families, although it was about half. People went individually, along with people who just went with friends. People were in what seemed to be individual social groups, with little to no interaction between these "groups". My guess is that was because they were really only there to shop and not to hang out with people. Overall, though, there was not a lot going on outside.

The stores themselves were pretty busy. I walked past an Applebees and they were about 3/4ths of the way full of people. The various shops around the Gateway were also doing pretty well.

One of the weirdest things that I saw there was an arcade game called "keyboard heaven". I didn't actually play it, but it had about 2 octaves of a keyboard suspended in midair, and I'm guessing that you had to play along with the song, almost like guitar hero. Maybe it's just me, but at that point you should really just buy a piano and learn to play it.

All in all, it just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by it's cover, and you can't judge a place just by a quick glance.

Foothill Village, Personal Blog 2

One of my favorite spots in the city is Foothill Village. It's a great place just to hang out because it has a variety of things to do while still being all in one place and not requiring a person to do a lot of walking. If you want to walk, however, you can do so. I've spent many hours wandering around in the underground parking lot or around the neighborhood and park just West of the shopping center.

There's also a variety of things to do within the shopping center, if you want to eat there's a subway and a homey gelato shop with panini's and other delicious Italian dishes, as well as a pub and in the past a T.G.I. Friday's. And if you're not in the mood for any of those things, you can just pick up a loaf of bread from Dan's to eat in the park. There are also a few clothing stores and a Color Me Mine where you can paint your own pottery. It's a great place to relax because it's not a big place of business, and even when it's pretty busy it's never too crowded. Its an enjoyable place to go and grab a Starbucks, sit outside, and just pass the time talking to friends and people watching in a relaxed and fun environment.

My Experience with the Grid System

When my family moved to Salt Lake City, I remember my mom being relieved at the ease of navigating around Salt Lake. She grew up in Watervliet, New York which is a little city just outside of Albany. The streets in Watervliet do not have order in their naming nor where they lead.

In Salt Lake City, the roads are laid out in a grid system centered around Temple Square downtown. When I learned to drive, navigating came with ease. The only aspect I found difficult was keeping straight which interstate was which, but even that became natural after on-hand experience. The lucky thing for new drivers or new drivers to Salt Lake City is that if you gets lost or confused about the fastest way to reach a location in the city, you always have a back up of driving through the grid to the coordinates of your destination.

The Transformation of a City, Personal Blog 1

Salt Lake is a wonderful place to live because each year we witness a complete transformation of the city for winter. Our weather has two definite extremes of summer and winter, skipping spring and fall almost altogether. But this makes for a sudden and fascinating transformation of our city in what seems like no time each year.


Above is a picture of the city in summer. The feel of the city in the summer is lively and active. In the summer people enjoy hiking in the mountains, jogging, taking walks, and talking to neighbors. It's a lively and exciting atmosphere centered on enjoying Utah's landscape and scenery. People flock to public spaces such as parks and outdoor shopping centers to enjoy the fresh air.



In winter, the entire feel of the city changes. After the first few big snowstorms, the city looks completely transformed into a winter wonderland. Winter has a drastic effect on the look of our city because the mountains turn white, transforming the background of the city completely and making it impossible to forget what season it is. Another reminder, of course, is the cold. Because Utah's seasons change so drastically, the cold is very noticeable in comparison with summer's sweltering heat.

Winter activities are also outdoor, but change to fit the season. Now people go snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding, but of course the main attraction is skiing on Utah's "best snow on earth." Winter can be a beautiful and exciting time of year, but it also suffers from inversions. This, for many people, is just another excuse to get up to higher elevations and ski.

The transformation of our city is exciting to witness because it changes the entire atmosphere. It also demonstrates how the changing environment affects the behavior and attitudes of the people living here.

Personal Blog #1 The Trials and Tribulations of Jackson Myrick: Cheese Aficionado

Many people form obsessions early in life. Some learn to appreciate the finer points of a musical genre, others spend their free time and money chasing the newest video game, and a select few blessed souls develop a adoration for books. As for myself, I have the misfortune of being a cheese gourmand.

Arriving from Nashville, Tennessee after four days spent crammed in the front seat of Mom's Prius (how we managed to fit everything into that car I will never fully comprehend), I realized the fatal flaw in my ingenious plot to escape my birth-state. Not only did I leave all of the friends I had trained so carefully to be fitting companions behind in Tennessee, I knew only of a single store

in the city I could rely upon for the atypical concoctions of curdled cow milk that pervaded the foremost thoughts of my mind, and it was situated well out of reach while attending university. Luckily, before I fretted the entire small stretch of summer preceding classes away, I stumbled upon a little gem named Caputo’s Market Deli. Now I am not generally one given to waxing poetic over first impressions, but in this case the compliments are merited.

Having heard that there was a store that sold gourmet cheese across the street from my favorite bookstore, The King’s English on 15^th East and 15^th South, I wheedled and implored my way into a ride and stipend to bless the establishment with in the week running up to move in day. I burst through the doors like a western villain stepping into a saloon, expecting to within moments turn my nose in disdain at the processed dairy these people dared to label as artisan. It was not to be, the elongated window seated in the front of the store well arranged and presented with relevant detail relating to each specimen’s place of origin and additional notes on the flavor that would soon be experienced. I lapsed into my natural state of rapture, gliding to the glass and scanning the contents, leaving behind a giggling mother whose knowing smile was plastered on her face. (This is actually a picture of the downtown location)

In dreamlike solitude I remained until an employee asked if I would like to have a sandwich. Hastily I ordered a Caputo and turned back to my treasure. To this day I have visited only one store whose showcase of cheese has outdone either the Caputo’s branch store or main store in terms of quality, Murray’s Cheese Shop of New York City fame, the store I later that day learned was the inspiration of Caputo’s cheese section. I tentatively proceeded with a test of the employee who had offered to cut some cheese for me after I had finished my sandwich. A good employee is much like a sushi chef, thus I proceeded, giving him several examples of what I like and sought to see whether he had the palate and knowledge to recommend cheeses I would enjoy (a taste of the cheese is offered prior to purchase to confirm the buyer’s interest if this route is followed). I left that day having tasted three cheeses I had never had the pleasure of acquaintance with, no mean feat considering my repertoire, along with the employee’s name.

Not content to leave that day without total victory however, I chatted with the employee during checkout while carrying my couple pounds of delectables, resulting in the eventual turn of the conversation to classes on cheese that were hosted by Caputo’s. Needless to say, I jumped on this topic and by the day of November 2^nd I had recruited a fellow doomed soul, Adam Jones, to share the experience with. The class was held at the downtown location of Caputo’s, my first visit to the main store, and the beginning of a night full to the brim of reverie and a Zen-like appreciation of true dairy products that the two of us shared. The class was taught by Matt Caputo (hm, I wonder if that last name is in some way significant) with a family friend and long time partner teaching the optional wine course, which we unfortunately were unable to participate in.

The class itself was an absolute joy, going over the specific definitions and differences between farmstead, artisanal, and factory cheese punctuated by Matt’s rather snarky outlook on the loopholes which were extensively abused by mainstream companies in order to be able to stick the more prestigious labels on their processed cheeses (Yeah, you know those gourmet cheeses in the grocery store? Lies! Those are not truly gourmet or artisan!). He also briefly delved into several cheese laws in European countries which dictate the use of certain labels, examples of this being Parmigiano Reggiano and English Stilton, where if those names were used by someone not fully in line with the regulations they are extremely liable in the courts of law. Also a brief amount of time was spent on the cheese making process, albeit extreme abridgement, and the three main factors contributing to cheese quality were detailed: the milk used, the cheese making (raw materials used by the cheese makers throughout the process and the techniques), and the affinage, or aging, of the cheese which is widely considered the most important part of the process.

We were then shown the cheese cave, an expensive contraption used for the optimal storage of cheese and the preservation and enhancement of the innate flavors. I will not be going into the details of the Cheese Cave, but let’s just say that it acts as an intense humidifier (over 90% inside) and temperature regulator as well as an isolated storage unit. Here is a picture of it:

Finally with all of the paperwork finished and the relief of not having a pop quiz at the end of the class settling in, we arrived at the cheese tasting course, initially slated at nine cheeses but increased to ten by Matt’s blessed whims. In truth I held a pure expression of delight in my soul as various triple creams and imported delicacies found their way to my delighted storage facility, my mind overrun by the histories of each cheese, vignettes passed down through the ages of their origin and extrapolations on flavors that rained as poetry upon me. Of the ten cheeses I had partaken of a mere five previously and only heard of six. Adam and I left that day with wonder in our eyes and contentment in our bellies, our wallets considerably lighter as we made our way back to the car with pounds of little expressions of joy in either hand. These are the things I adore unabashed, my tiny obsessions and fulfillments thereof turning an intimidating move to an unfamiliar place to the winter of camaraderie and my contentment.