Cheese Week Comes To New York

We recently learned all about the second year of Cheese Day in Paris, where, on Feb. 20, cheesemakers, chefs, sommeliers, and cheese-lovers will all gather in a one-day salute to the glories of European cheeses. But if you can't be in Paris for the festivities, don't worry: Cheese Week is coming to New York from Feb. 21 to 26. Not to be left out, chefs in Philadelphia and California, like their New York counterparts, will spotlight cheeses from France and around the world on their menus all week long.

In New York, the French Cheese Board has organized a whole menu of tastings all over the city, including cheeses, wines, and spirits. These two-hour sessions will feature cheeses from some of France's great cheesemakers. From well-known names like Marin and Alouette (both of which make their French-style cheeses in American settings) to boutique imports like Fromagerie Arnaud and Fromagerie Henri Hutin, cheese-fanciers will be hard-pressed to choose which tasting to attend. It is suggested that oenophiles check the pairings that will be offered at each tasting. From powerhouse names like Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafites) to Champagnes Brimoncourt and Calvados Boulard, and new discoveries like the wines of Chateau Tourril, there will be something for every wine connoisseur. Centered around the French Cheese Board in SoHo (41 Spring St.), all New Yorkers are invited to attend these tastings. Reservations can be made here.

Festivities are also the order of the day at Murray's Cheese Shop at both Grand Central Station and the Bleecker Street location. Each day of Cheese Week, samplings will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. and discounts will be offered on select French cheeses. At their neighboring Cheese Bar (264 Bleecker St.), French cheese and wine pairings will be offered as well as their regular menu. There will even be a special cheese class called "Vive La France: French Wine and Cheeses" to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Open to the public, it's wise to call for a reservation at (212) 243-3289. Meanwhile, uptown at Zabar's, three-hour cheese tastings will take place both Feb. 24 and 25 from 2 to 5 p.m.