The Mission Here Is Cheese

Last Saturday, Nick and I checked out Mission Cheese, the brand new cheese bar that just opened last week. Once I read about the existence of a cheese bar in the Mission on one of my favorite blogs, I had to check it out. The concept is similar to that of a wine bar, except instead of a long list of many categories of wines, there's an extensive cheese list for you to choose from to put together your own cheese plate. If that does not already sound magical enough, you can also get sound advice about what cheese to buy and bring home and there are a few great hot food options. It is like a one-stop shop for the most awesome things to do with cheese. We stopped by at lunch to have a couple sandwiches, but I'll definitely be going back to try the mac and cheese and the raclette.

In Nick's California Gold sandwich, the prosciutto and cheese worked together instead of competing with each other; I usually don't like prosciutto sandwiches because a lot of places stuff the sandwiches with overly salty, low-quality prosciutto but Mission Cheese really nailed it. I got the Cheddar Head, which was surprisingly light and fruity while still being delightfully cheesy. One thing I will say about the sandwiches is that since they are pressed sandwiches and not grilled, the finely-grated cheese they use is very soft and warmed through but not melted down all the way to any sort of stringy consistency. I thought this was a nice change—especially because the lightly-pressed technique left the bread crispy on the outer surface without making the crust hurt-your-mouth hard—but I mention it because people looking for melty and messy might be surprised.

Despite having only been open for a few days, Mission Cheese is clearly an operation that's been well thought-out and put together with care. I loved the contrast of the standard SF modern dark interior with the happy touches that made the place so inviting: the chartreuse tiles at the bar, the cute ruffly aprons on the friendly staff members, and the beautiful orange ranunculus in little jars at each table. They even got the napkins just right with their soft, comforting texture. The place is a little hard to find right now because all they have is a paper sign taped to the inside of their front window, but I don't see how this place could possibly be anything but an epic win if they keep up the great work.

Mission Cheese is located at 736 Valencia Street, San Francisco, California 94117.

| Photo Credit: Me. |