Random Friday Post: Crazy Cheese!

I never said this blog was only going to be about running, but if you thought that would be the case, allow me to disabuse you. I am a three dimensional person (most of the time) and there is more to me than my love of distance running (most of the time). Today, I want to talk about one of those other loves: cheese. [Note, however, that if you read all the way to the end of this post you are a brave soul I promise to tie this whole thing back into running.]

I'm not going to go into some culinary diatribe on the ways in which unpasteurized Italian blue has changed my life, or tell you that each time I indulge in St. André I feel I like I should immediately go to confession. No, I want to talk about a particularly eccentric cheesemonger here in New York.

One of my favorite grocery stores here in New York is West Side Market. Each of their three locations has prepared food (for that post-run refueling), plenty of Powerade (for that post-run rehydration), and a good beer selection (for that post-run dehydration). But only one location, the 14th St store, has "The Doctor," a rock 'n' roll cheesemonger whose real name is Peter Daniels.

What makes him such a rockin' duke of dairy? Well, it could be the classic rock he sings along to while slicing and packaging cheese. It could be the fact that he dresses more like a roadie than a counter clerk. But the real reason is the awesome labels he puts on his cheese. Check out a few great examples and that promised running tie-in after the jump.

The Beatles are to fresh mozzarella as the Rolling Stones are to... I was never very good with SAT-style analogies.

Not familiar with this song, but boy am I familiar with this cheese!

To brie or not to brie? When faced with this question I always brie.

As promised, here's where I tie this back to running. The quote on the Mimolette (the label is missepelled--there should only be one l)  comes from Jame's Patterson's Run for Your Life, which isn't actually about running but does have it in the title so I think that counts.

Note: All of these pictures are from grubstreet and gothamist. Unfortunately, I always devour my cheese before I remember to snap a photo.