It's Alive!

I am sensing a trend. Weeks go by without a blog post. I decide it's time to nail myself down & go for the gold. Then I stare at a blank screen because I have no stinky cheese clue where in the nuts to begin. Well...take that blank screen! You're not looking so blank anymore! Yeah. Ok...ah hem.

During the month of January, Mission Cheese seems to have become a full on living & breathing spitfire of a truckle charging to the finish line. I, on the other hand, can generally be found stumbling behind & taking orders. My arms may flail from time to time, but all in all we are having a blast & getting shiza done.

Construction at 736 Valencia is fully underway & there has been serious progress, thanks to Sacha & the Stingray Builders team (amazing partners for anyone out there looking to...you know, build stuff). Rough plumbing is done & approved by inspectors (check) and the design for the cabinetry (essentially the walls) is nearly finished and moving into production. The one actual full wall being built (ha...yes, only one) is up & the bar/counter has been roughed in as well. I was able to see the 3D version of MC in Sketch Up (a crazy architecture-type program that I have zero idea how to maneuver) and it made me misty eyed. She's going to be perfect!

Sacha & team also secured this amazing slab of salvaged walnut for the bar from a kind man named Jim in Peteluma. Awesome. (aaaannd fist pump. I tried to hold it back...I really tried.) I will also be picking up my tile from Heath in Sausalito & table tops from Heritage Salvage in Peteluma (hot place for salvaged walnut it turns out) this week, and bar stools are underway (more to come). Chairs are the last major item on the furniture list. So many lovely chairs & so few within my micro budget. Any ideas?

Now, this next bit is a titch embarrassing, but fully embracing this process, I will share. There was a cheese photo shoot. Yes, that's right, me & Bayley Hazen Blue, Capricious, Cirrus, Appalachian, & Red Hawk. (Yum.) Since the space itself is not ready for the camera, my dear friend Peter Prato unleashed his artistic ways to capture the soul of little Mission Cheese for press releases & the like. Oliver, Jenny, & some brewski graciously accompanied and successfully eased my nerves for what turned out to be a hilarious afternoon of outfit & cheese changes. While my hair could have used a bit of brushing (whoops), I think Peter nailed it. These curds are for you and your magical ways! Here's a sneak peak at the madness. Momma clear a space on the mantel. Ha.

Other happenings may sound a bit snory, like choosing merchant services, a POS system, insurance, & payroll...but I have managed to find some amazing people that have been kind enough to talk me through the details & not try to rip me off (so far...fingers crossed). For any other business budders out there, I would be happy to share who & what I found in my search.

All that & the Packers are in the Super Bowl! Get right out of town! Three cheers for a cheesehead VICTORY! Go Pack Go!

December. Whoa.

December has been a shiza storm of fist pumps, high blood pressure, applications (I would say this is the area for which I win most improved), and egg nog (with bourbon, without bourbon, with an egg nog cupcake...I like to capitalize on this glorious season of nog). I can hardly believe that it's Christmas week & I am on a plane headed to Wisconsin (free wifi!) for some squeaky cheese and a week of relaxation with the fam before the storm turns into a full blown hurricane de queso in 2011.

The 1st of the month really kicked things off with an appointment at the Alcohol Beverage Control office of SF to apply for a type 41 liquor license which allows on-premise sale & consumption of beer & wine (an effort I like to call...Operation Jubilation). I had a hunch that this appointment would be a challenge, and I had every intention of being fully prepared for a masterful performance. Oliver & I stayed up into the morning & I was up at the crack of dawn to gather residential addresses within a 150 foot radius around 736 Valencia (part of the initial application process & not nearly as bad as gathering addresses within 500 feet). By the time my 1pm appointment was upon me, I was feeling fairly confident...confidence that would be shattered in the matter of minutes.

Without going into too much detail, there was a moment when the lovely woman behind the counter (whom I am determined to become friends with...no matter how badly she dislikes me) said, "Sarah, why are you giving me incorrect documents?" To which I answered with "Ms. Beautiful (that's not REALLY her name, but on the off chance that she reads this...I would not want to irritate her by using her real name...you know), I was unaware that they were incorrect or I certainly would not have presented them to you." Wrinkly chin fully engaged (I have gotten much better at keeping this in check over the last three weeks...in my opinion), I accepted a hug from a fellow applicant (total stranger) and headed for the train home. I had approximately 43 hours to get my self in order...and amend my Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State (f#$k).

I immediately called my lawyer & set an expedited amendment in motion (curds of thanks to Trevor!) and hoped for the best. I also had to hand-draw the space (my attachment of the architectural plan would not suffice...had to be drawn...very strange), which Josh was kind enough to help me with, contact the building department for a direct contact, and get photocopies of my parents drivers licenses (don't ask) who live in WI & are not super handy on the scanner (after some coaching...they nailed it!), amongst other tweaks & application refinement.

When Friday morning arrived, all had gone as planned & I was sure to impress Ms. Beautiful the second time around...and I did. Before I knew it I was watching a video about the responsible service of alcohol created circa 1993 and walking out of the ABC with this sweet poster...


and another pile of applications. One of which I have to sign acknowledging that the application process will take at least 5 months (what?!?), and another (my favorite) which I have to attached the addresses of all residential addresses with in a 500 foot radius of 736 Valencia and sign assuring that I sent a notice of my application to all 832 addresses (yes, 832 copies, 832 envelopes, 832 address labels, 832 return address labels, aaand 832 stamps). A task that would have taken me a week to accomplish on my own...so I called in the troops & they really rocked it. (Curds of thanks to Nat, Laur, Russ, Steph, Bart, & Oliver for their amazing envelope stuffing skills!) So, here I am 20 days after my initial appointment with 4 more applications to complete & turn in to Ms. Beautiful at the ABC office. Then, I wait. (sigh)

Other less dramatic (thank Cheesus) and way more exciting happenings in December include securing a building permit!, purchasing gorgeous Heath tile (good thing we scored a deal because I pretty much sleep with the sample tile under my pillow...I love it), reclaimed lights from Big Daddy Antiques, and tables are being constructed out of salvaged walnut at Heritage Salvage up in Petaluma! If that doesn't make you through up a fist for pump or two...I give up.

So, we have officially entered the construction phase...and I am beyond stoked to see this concrete box morph into a little slice of cheese paradise...where all the hip wheels hang (muahahahaha).


Happy Nogging from Sconi!

Jury Duty & the Brink of Sanity

Hello! Sorry for the break in regularly scheduled programming...wait, I take that back, the schedule has always been far from regular. So, while there is nothing new in the way of blog regularity, the newness is abundant in the way of Mission Cheese, and why not throw in a jury summons?

The plans for 736 Valencia are cruising along at freaking warp speed (thanks Josh!), which means decisions have to be made regarding all equipment (hood, range, refrigeration...lots of refrigeration for precious cheese, beer dispensary, dish washer, ice maker, freezer, & sinks) as well as building materials to be used for, well, everything (bar top, tile, flooring, cabinetry, bus station, tables, chairs, lights). All this and some hourly work I have picked up in a cubicle that shall remain nameless (must. pay. rent.) has kept me more than busy, but sane-ish. I knew jury duty was on it's way. I had already claimed hardship 3 months earlier, but I was sure this time I would not even be called in and all would be lollipops & rainbows.

Sunday call..."please call back on Monday, November 8" (phew)

Monday call..."please report to 850 Bryant (a.k.a. Suckfest, USA) at 9:45 on Tuesday, November 9" (NO! This is awful, but it's only one day & surely I will not be selected)

Tuesday, as the visions of lollipops & rainbows fade into the distance, I walk through 4 consecutive blocks of puke-scented sidewalk (really, how can it last for that many blocks?!?) to arrive at the San Francisco Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant, to wait. Waiting in the juror holding area was luxurious...wifi, tables, room to sprawl & I was pretty much able to go about business as usual. Then there is waiting in the courtroom...cell phones off (no service even if you wanted to be a rebel) trying to read a book as my to-do list scrolls through my mind...over & over. Sweating. Hours later I fill out an 8 page questionnaire & am told to return the following day at 10 am. Walk back to the train attempting to hold my breath through 4 entire blocks and go about my busy day.

Wednesday...ahh Wednesday. As a responsible citizen I report for duty at promptly at 10 am, to wait. Of course, since the plan was to head directly to the courtroom for jury selection, I left my computer & MC blueprints (yes, I hauled everything with me on Tuesday) safe & sound at home. So my productivity was limited to adding items to my to-do list (not helpful), iPhone capabilities...which are slim in SF (thank you AT&T), and my book. Trying my best to get lost in Garlic & Sapphire (by Ruth Reichl...love her!)...but...sweating.

After an hour of waiting, we are called into the courtroom for more waiting & then I painfully listened as 20 jurors were dismissed by the council. Then, instead of starting jury selection we are told of some complications & to return to the courthouse at 1:30. It's now 11:45, and I am stuck in Suckfest without my productive devices and a 30 minute one-way train commute home or to my hourly cubicle. I walk aimlessly debating what in Sam Hill to do with this precious 1.75 hours (yes, the sidewalk still wreaks). Finally, I decide to make the trek home for a quick lunch & to reunite with my computer for 20 mins. Awesome.

Following my lovely half hour at home, it was time to make the trek back to the corner of Strung-out St. & Vomit Way, to wait. Yes, it's true. More waiting in the hallway, no service, no luxurious juror holding area. Sweating...from both my brisk walk in the lovely San Francisco heat wave, and general anxiety about my growing to-do list. We are called back into the courtroom for yet another roll-call, and another 15 jurors are excused by the council. (ahhhhhhh!) Then, get this, we are told that due to some legal matters that have arisen, we are going to have to come back on Monday at 9 am to START the jury selection process. (good-bye flood gates) Wrinkly chin & sweating (now profusely) I wait for everyone to exit & approach the clerk to say something like...

"I cannot come back here on Monday. Can I file for some sort of special starting a small business hardship...see, there's cheese...I mean Mission Cheese...and (sniffle sniffle)...it needs me."

After grasping the situation, the clerk hands me a hardship form & I write my story of MC & all of the things that need to be done in the next 2 weeks & beyond. Ending with an old-fashioned-blue-book-hand-cramp (do they still use those?) & a sincere declaration of my respect for the judicial system, noting that I have served on a jury in the past & will serve again...but serving now may lead to severe anxiety & high blood pressure.

I hand my plea to the clerk, and she returns to tell me that the judge will not have time to look at it now, and I will have to come in on Monday to hear her decision. I felt the strong urge to throw myself on the ground wailing & pounding in a full-blown tantrum, but as a composed adult, I took my sweaty wrinkly chin self back out to the sidewalks-of-stench and put in a desperate call to Oliver. (lucky guy!) I explain the horrific situation to him as I cry/laugh (but mostly cry) & walk back to the train (that's 4 trips all day). Following Oliver's advice (your the best!) I head straight home to get cracking on my lengthy to-do list...aaaand why not whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies for cozy comfort to be followed by Strauss egg nog & bourbon (duh). In my cookie-making-scurry I dropped the kitchen-aid mammoth mixer on my finger & broke a rubber spatula in half. (somebody pass the bourbon already) Awesome.

Then, somewhere in between cookies & egg nog, I received an "Unknown" call, which happened to be the clerk (eek!) excusing me from duty & wishing me good luck on "the cheese!" (fist pump fist pump...dance party...fist pump)

We must all learn from this experience (very serious). Cheese saves the day! Always.

Meet Cheesemakers...tonight!

Tonight, at a lovely space that goes by the name of Local: Mission Eatery, there is an amazing opportunity to spend time with cheesemakers/magicians from 4 creameries new to the bay area. They will share the story of their journey into cheese, what keeps them going through the back breaking work of it all, & give us a little glimpse of the soul behind the delicious-ness waiting for us at the cheese counter. Their time is precious & tonight we are very lucky.

We will be tasting cheese from Bohemian Creamery made by Lisa (here at right), Bleating Heart made by Seana Doughty, Barinaga Ranch made by Marcia Barinaga (cute as a button with her sheep below), and Nicasio Valley Cheese Co made by Rick LaFranchi & family (his sister Jan will actually be in the house to represent). Oh, and we will also be pairing them with California beer & wine...not bad for a Tuesday night!

There are still a few tickets left, so buy them here & come have some fun & connect with lovely makers of CHEESE!

Measuring Progress

Progress with the shop is moving right along and I plan to do my best to keep the updates coming as we navigate the loopty-loops of opening up shop. This progress I speak of is largely due to this fella. Meet Josh Lowe (450 Architects), Mission Cheeses' architectural designer. The story of how I found Josh goes a little bit like...

Oliver: "I think I know someone who we could talk to about the details of architecture"

Me: "Wait...do we need an architect?" (delusional)

Oliver: "Well, it would be worth talking to him just to get a better understanding of the process" (smarty)

Me: "Alright. Sounds good. Let's meet for dinner."

We had dinner with Josh & his wife Carleigh & the rest is really history. Peeeas & carrots!

Needless to say, Josh & I have been seeing a lot of each other these days as we storm ideas for the space that will bring Mission Cheese from fantasy land to reality. He has challenged me to express the soul of MC into words & pictures, which he is translating, as we stare at our computer screens, into the design of the space. He rocks & I feel so stinking lucky to know that Mission Cheese is in such good hands.

This past Tuesday we spent over 2 hours taking every last measurement of the space (he actually did all of the work while I tried to figure out how to measure from the floor to the ceiling with a floppy measuring tape...which Josh executes effortlessly in this photo). Sounds like a snore, but I find this whole process to be fascinating. Can you imagine the excitement when walls, tables, chairs, & cheese knives start rolling in?

Josh, these curds are for you!

Cheese, It's What's For Dinner?

It has taken a few days of pondering the perfect way to share the Good Food Awards judging experience, and...I think...I've...got it! Make sure you have your volume on (very important!), press play below (give it maybe 20 seconds to get going...wait for it), scroll (slowly), & get excited.

Hoedown from Rodeo from Eleanor Stewart on Vimeo.

Cute!!!














Ohhhh....






Ahhhhh...







OH MY!




Really...










Get real!













YES!!!











Is that...oh yeah.














Amazing!













(fist pump, fist pump!)




























Eh hem. In summary, it was delightful day of tasting semi-soft cheeses from across the country with Daphne Zepos (cheese writer, importer, & educator extraordinaire), Juliana Uruburu (Director of all things cheese at Pasta Shop), & Eskender Aseged (Chef & creator of Radio Africa Kitchen). I was truly honored to be a part of the first annual Good Food Awards. Winners will be announced on their website November 15 & more fun to come in January!

Go ahead, do a heal click, no one is watching.

Scrumptous Events for October!

After a weekend of celebratory toasts with some of my favorite people on the planet...this show is officially on the road. The flood gates have lifted. The levee gave way. We have blast off. Full speed ahead. Well...you get the point. There's a lot to do to get Mission Cheese ready for her coming out party. BUT, there is always time for cheese-tastic events, 3 cheese-tastic events to be exact (2 for you 1 for me!). So, without further ado...let's start with some fun for you! (dork.)

Saturday, October 9th 5-11 pm (Yes, THIS Sat!) - Underground Market in Oakland
We missed 2 markets while biking down the Oregon coast (I survived! It was actually very awesome), but we will be at this Saturday's market serving up Raclette to as many people as we possibly can. They have more vendors than ever before AND it is all outdoors & much easier to navigate than the one in SF. So, I highly recommend it. Here is a list of the vendors that will be there in addition to yours truly.

Sunday, October 10th (this one is for me!) - Good Food Awards Judging takes place
In honor of the Global Work Party happening on 10/10/10, I will be volunteering my time to judge delicious cheese for the Good Food Awards organized by Seedling Projects. I will be tasting 50 different artisan cheeses & reporting back on the experience...not the winners, which will be announced at a par-tay in mid January. Seems more like a dream come true & less like volunteering...but I'll take it! (Seriously, all links in this paragraph are truly worth clicking on...amazing people doing amazing stuff!)

Tuesday, October 26th 7-9 pm - Mission Cheese & Local: Mission Eatery present...Meet the Cheesemaker!
We are teaming up with Local: Mission Eatery to bring you the opportunity to meet 4 fairly new remarkable NorCal cheesemakers & taste their cheese paired with local beer & wine. You know how much I adore cheesemakers, so this is your chance to hear their story & feel the love yourself. Marcia of Barinaga Ranch, Lisa of Bohemian Creamery, Seana of Bleating Heart, & a member of the LaFranchi family (it's a family dairy!) of Nicassio Valley Cheese will be joining us for the event & I just couldn't be a pinch happier. Tickets are $65, and I believe there are only about 30 of them. So...get yours while the gettin' is good!

I told you they were cheese-tastic...and really, all-around-FUN-tastic! Wouldn't you say? I do apologize for my overly geek-tastic (daaaa hahaha) behavior this post. Sort of.