Doesn't Happen Often

David (top), Cary (bottom)

I'm not one to get startstruck that easily. Seeing Maya Rudolph, David Spade, Maria Bello and the rest of the cast of "Grown Ups 2"during the filming this summer has definitely been fun, but I wouldn't say it has left me speechless.

But last night while out to dinner, I didn't meet one rockstar. Not two. Not even three. I MET FOUR ROCKSTARS. Of the cheese world that is (were you expecting someone else--I'm at the cheese show after all)! I'm sitting at the bar, enjoying a drink, and a group of four comes up next to me to grab a drink while waiting for their table.

I first noticed David Gremmels--co owner of Rogue Creamery (a.k.a. home to the Best Cheese in the Country for the last two years!!!). I didn't know what to do. Then I notice, Cary Bryant (other co-owner of Rogue), Sue Conley (co-owner of Cowgirl Creamery) and Kurt Dammeier (owner of Beecher's of Seattle). HOLY CRAP!

Do I introduce myself? Do I buy them a drink? Do I leave them alone? Well I didn't have long to think because Kurt turns to me and says, "Excuse me, do you live here? What do you call someone from Raleigh?"

"Great," I thought to myself, "he just had to ask me something I didn't know."

Kurt

I could feel myself getting nervous, my mouth getting dry, I could feel myself perspiring like a wheel of gouda that's been left out too long, but I somehow managed to spit out, "A Raleighite? That's just a guess. I'm not from here," pretty smooth, Dougy. (And Raleighite is the correct answer I found out later!).

Sue

I told them I was here for the cheese show and that I obviously knew they were here for the same reason. I felt like I was sitting next to cheese royalty. You might be thinking I'm overreacting here, but these four have changed the way cheese is made and enjoyed in this country. I grew up hearing about these four legends, I would read about them in trade magazines. These four people and their cheeses started the American artisan cheese movement. It doesn't happen often, but I was near speechless.

Is there such a thing as a cheese groupie??