Eat Naturally

Yesterday I went to a store called Vin Goat. Located in Corona Del Mar, CA, this little artisan food shop is known mostly for being a cheese store. It came highly recommended so I thought I would check it out. Although I walked in with mild expectations I walked out with a new appreciation for quality cheese and food and an absolutely delicious, old fashioned, artisan style, flavor filled lunch.

It was apparent from the beginning of my experience that quality food is important at Vin Goat. Advertised as a place specializing in artisan and farmstead cheeses, I looked around and also saw olive oils, jams, olives, crackers, mustards, pickles, vinegars, chocolates and several “old fashioned” looking foods. The place just had a good vibe. I went to the cheese and deli counter and was helped by a very nice gentleman who was happy to assure me that quality was a top priority for them. All of their cheeses come small farms, from pastured, organic animals and they are dedicated to providing traditional artisan foods to their customers. I was sold.

We chatted a bit about different cheeses, I tasted a few different kinds and settled on a raw sheep cheese called Idiazabal. They also had several hard salami choices so I picked out one with the fewest ingredients. I noticed by chance that they had sauerkraut salads so I added that to the bag and then finished it off with a 70% dark chocolate/chipotle pepper treat. The store had a great, relaxed feel to it and the people there were friendly and very helpful. I look forward to going back, as I noticed many other intriguing cheese and salamis as well as some nice looking bacon and bacon jam (oh yes) that might be worth trying.

I headed off to the park, set out my spread and dug in. Just plain good old fashioned food. The best part was that the food was so simple, good, fresh and tasty that it didn’t take very much to fill me up. I couldn’t help but think, “This is how all food should taste.”

So next time you are in the mood for some good old fashioned artisan food, head on over to Vin Goat or find a place like it and take a memorable trip down food memory lane.

Thanks for reading, have a great Memorial Day with some great traditional food!