The Cheese Course

We attended the 2÷20÷2012 class on Cheese, Chocolate and Bubbly. The setting inside Seasonal Pantry was cosy, but not claustrophobic. The atmosphere was that of being invited to a secret back room at a hip restaurant or a the kitchen of a cool young chef — if young chefs could afford gorgeous lofts with exposed brick. Carolyn dispensed a lot of information in a casual and fun way that didn’t feel like a lecture. She included everyone from the group in the discussion and it was a comfortable environment to ask questions. The cheese and wine were great, but I won’t review those since they change each month. The crowd was late 20s to early 40s, mostly couples. I went with my cheese loving husband, but it would be an impressive second date (with Carolyn doing most of the talking for you) or something different to do with out of town guests who want a «big city» foodie experience without the expense of a full meal and where it’s ok to admit you’re still learning.
Overall we learned a lot and tried new things, but our boundaries weren’t pushed too far. No super strong or stinky cheeses, no bizarre pairings. I would definitely take another class.
Carolyn had the cheeses and foods we ate available for purchase. We were also able to purchase from Seasonal Pantry’s shelves and I’m looking forward to trying the pickled jalepenos we bought.
⁶⁄₅ update — OMG — just realized I never posted this review. The pickled jalepenos are AWESOME. Thanks again to Carolyn and her cool friends at SP for a fun night.

The cheese course that Carolyn runs out of Seasonal Pantry twice a month is exactly what I was looking for when I started searching for DC cheese classes. Carolyn is super knowledgeable, engaging and presents cheese in a non-​pretentious manner, making you feel right at home at the adorable set-​up inside Seasonal Pantry. I was a little nervous on what to expect the first time, but the class draws people just like me: cheese lovers that don’t actually know a whole lot about cheese. Dan’s homemade accompaniments are delicious and we have left two classes super full (read: do not eat dinner prior). I would definitely recommend this for a fun night with the girls or for a date. You can sign up for the monthly emails so you know when the classes go on sale because they definitely sell out quick!
And of course, Seasonal Pantry is full of delicious goodies, including the cheeses that are used in the class. I can’t wait to try supper club!