A New Cheese Bar Opens on Capitol Hill
Cheesemonger Sheri LaVigne unveils her Capitol Hill bar, where curds are king
By Seattle Mag March 2, 2016
This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.
When I told my friends about the new Culture Club Cheese Bar on Capitol Hill, their eyelids grew heavy and deep moans ensued. There is such ecstasy associated with cheese, really good stinky cheese, that it makes chocolate look like child’s play.
Culture Club Cheese Bar owner Sheri LaVigne knows this. After nearly six years behind the counter at The Calf & Kid inside Melrose Market, LaVigne opened the bare-bones bar (a lone cheese grater graces the concrete walls) at the base of an unassuming 12th Avenue microhousing development, giving cheese lovers a place to coo over curds.
For LaVigne, it’s a chance to create spot-on pairings ($24–$28) with cheeses and corresponding pours of beer, wine or cider. The rest of the menu, which changes every three months, is simple: two hot dishes, including a decadent macaroni and cheese ($14), and an assortment of small bites, such as baby fondue with crostini ($4 at happy hour) and goat cheese chocolate truffles ($3) from Briar Rose Creamery. Raclette nachos are available every Sunday at 6 p.m.
Check out LaVigne’s cheese classes and “meet the cheesemaker” nights. Seriously, just go. Capitol Hill, 1806 12th St.; 206.556.4033; Facebook, “Culture Club Cheese Bar.”