Sawers
I was going to write about my great risotto disaster, but I've decided to write about Sawers instead. Every time I ask about a cheese shop, the locals' eyes light up and they talk about Sawers. It took me a week to find it, yesterday being the day of discovery, but it was closed on Sunday so I had to come back today. I'm trying to find the words to describe this place without being unsavory. And I can't. It's like porn for cheese lovers. They had everything. And I don't mean like our quaint wine and cheese shop in Moscow had everything, or the imported cheese stand at Safeway had everything, or even the giant cheese sections at the Wegman's in Buffalo had everything. Fruity cheese, spicy cheese, sweet cheese, tangy cheese, nutty cheese, you name it and they pass out samples like cocaine in a bad 80's film. I had a freakin' Blueberry Wensleydale that tasted like candy. I sampled three different Spanish cheeses! This is PART of the cheese section:
I asked the nice man behind the counter if he had Dubliner (which, surprisingly, has been difficult to find) and he laughed and said, "No. I've got something much better." Now, I love my Dubliner, but what this man handed me was the most delicious cheese in the cheddar range I've ever had: Mull of Kintyre Vintage Scottish Cheddar. I almost wanted a cigarette afterward. I strongly recommend you hunt down this cheese, if it all possible.
In the middle of the long fridge section, there are some other great fancy deli things, most notably the stuffed and marinated olives. I myself don't much care for olives that aren't cooked, but I know some of you do, so here's the kind of selection you'd be dealing with in the store for your fancy olives:
And lastly, no fancy deli is complete without a trip to the meat section. I spent less time here, but only because I'd already taken up so much of their time with the cheese. Cured salami, French parma ham, pancetta, all waiting to be sliced and eaten. I was blown away by the number of different crusted salami and went home with a apple crust myself, as well as some of the French parma ham. Here is part of the meat section:
I can only apologize for my photos, as I am NOT a photographer in any sense of the word and I am using my crummy Iphone 4 camera, but at least you can kind of see what I mean. One day when Epicurious picks me up as a guest columnist, I will have a professional to do these things. The price for everything was about ten pounds, or sixteen US dollars, so I was very happy. If you are ever in Belfast, I STRONGLY recommend a visit, but if not, you can always live vicariously through my blog. Anywho, find the cheese, save the princess, and always have crackers on hand. Foodies never die. That is all.