As a day at The Village Cheese Shop comes to an end, owner Michael Affatato considers what kind of meat he might throw on the grill that night. But really, who is he kidding? It’s likely those plans will get scrapped to instead nibble on some truffled brie he’s been eyeing in his cheese case all day, complemented by a drizzle of local honey, fresh sourdough bread and a glass of excellent wine, all enjoyed alongside his life partner, Leah Tillman, head of marketing for the shop.
“We’re very serious foodies,” says Affatato. “It’s our religion, it’s our passion and that’s what we convey to the public.”
And it’s just that — the vigor behind his, Tillman’s and The Village Cheese Shop staff’s love for cheese — that keeps customers coming back to their world of curd and culture.
Sample bites from Affatato’s shop at this year’s Northforker Wine & Food Classic on Sept. 3 at Borghese Vineyard (17150 County Road 48, Cutchogue, 631-734-5111).
Who else is pulling out all the stops and bringing some serious savory (and sweet) bite and beverage action this year? Our list is growing by the minute:
- Art of Eating
- Balo’s Foods
- Borghese Vineyards
- DJ Chef
- Ficarra Ristorante
- Goomba Johnny’s Pizzeria
- Grace & Grit
- La Plage
- Land and Sea Smokehouse
- Oysterponds Shellfish Co.
- R.AIRE
- Seaside Grill
- The Catered Fork
- The Pike
- The Treatery
- The Village Cheese Shop
- Uncle Giuseppe’s
- Kidd Squid Brewing Co.
- Po’Boy Brewery
- Take Two Brewery
- Twin Fork Beer Co.
- Übergeek Brewing
- Borghese Vineyard & Winery
- Chronicle Wines
- Harbes Vineyard
- Jamesport Vineyards
- JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
- Mattebella Vineyards
- Palmer Vineyards
- Paumanok Vineyards
- Pellegrini Vineyards
- Sannino Vineyards
- Casa J Tequila
- Fort Hamilton Distillery
- Twisted Cow Distillery
- La Plage
- Little Fish
- The Treatery
As is tradition, plenty of toe-tappin’, shoulder-swayin’ live tunes provided by funk master band In the Groove.
Tickets for the event start at $135 for general admission and may be obtained here. This is a 21+ all-inclusive event.
