what's happening right now in cheese?

i wish i had made up that question.

while running errands yesterday morning, i stopped at the newly opened whole foods market to pick up some snacks for a wine-and-cheese-and-pedicure party that i'm having with my bridesmaids downtown. i heard the above question from the mouth of one of the eighty bajillion south-loop yuppies that have come out of the woodwork since the store's opening.

i was happily browsing the non-happening cheeses, and had selected an apple-and-wood-chip-smoked cheddar, an herb havarti, and a spread-ey cheese from brunkow cheese co-op (my favorite stop at the madison farmer's market), when i heard that question and turned around --- to discover that i had failed to acknowledge a 15-foot-in-diameter cheese EMPIRE presided over by the cheesemaster, who was nodding knowledgeably and telling the yuppies that, apparently, spanish cheeses are very "hip" right now.

my resulting cheese selection, while very happening and quite exciting, might have aimed a little past the cheap asian nail salon and sports bar that are our entertainment this evening. i have, umm, something spanish that is kind of like manchego, whatever manchego is (i of course nodded like i knew what he was talking about), and a cotswold??? all i know is that the white one tastes like butter and the orange one tastes like cheddar with chives in it. and they seem like they'll be yummy, paired with the debut of my TOTALLY NON-SUCKY HOME-MADE PINOT GRIGIO that i just got back from the wine shop and some olives.

mmm. don't you wish you were joining us? we'll raise a glass to you.