QUEENS — Cheese aficionados, rejoice!
Whether you like sharp cheddars or tangy blue cheeses, distinct goat cheeses or milder sheep's milk varieties, everyone will find something they like at The Great Northeast Cheese Fest, a massive cheese feast set to take place in Flushing this Saturday, organizers said.
The event will feature numerous artisanal creameries from the region, including Vulto Creamery, The Maiden’s Creamery, Cooperstown Cheese Co. and Bovina Valley Farm Creamery, which will be offering samples of their products to attendees who will also get a chance to learn about them from their makers and purchase varieties they like to take home, organizers said.
Renowned chefs including Alfonso Zhicay of Casa del Chef Bistro, Will Horowitz of Harry & Ida's and Hugue Dufour of M. Wells Steakhouse will also be creating cheesy delicacies using the products showcased at the festival, the organizers said.
“We see The Great Northeast Cheese Fest as a bridge between the region's makers of fine cheeses and the borough's culinary culture,” said Joe DiStefano, a Queens-based food writer and vice president of New York Epicurean Events, which organizes the festival, in a statement.
“The festival is going to bring so much wonderful cheese to an area that was once farmland itself, so really it's a homecoming,” DiStefano noted.
There will also be hands-on demonstrations, including a primer on how to create the perfect cheese board and cheeses will be paired with wines, craft beers, farmstead ciders and cocktails, the organizers said.
Desserts, including cheesecake and French pastry, will be provided by chefs Judy Lai of Silk Cakes and Rudolf Merlin of Creme Bakery.
With a $60 general admission ticket guests will be entitled to unlimited tasting and sampling of all food and beverages. $150 VIP tickets will also allow exclusive access to special culinary demonstrations and discussions about cheeses.
The festival will take place at Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd. in Flushing on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
