Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published December 11, 2006 Click here for the current edition An Artisanal Cheese Shop Opens Uptown Martin Wine Cellar and Whole Food do a good job with cheese, but the fromageries of France and Britain are so charming and good that they inspire a wish for something similar here. Now we have one. St. James Cheese Company is operated by Richard Sutton, who put in some years working at Paxton and Whitfield in London. He intends to keep the standards he learned there, holding cheese from sale until it's at the ideal ripeness. The plan also is to draw from the more rarefied sources of cheeses from all over the world, including the growing number of artisan cheesemakers in this country. (We even have a few of those around here.) The store is next door to the Wine Seller, on the corner of Prytania at Robert, across the street from la Crepe Nanou. Good choice of location: with the Upperline, the Creole Creamery, and Kyoto within a block, this is a nexus of gourmandise. The obstacle Sutton will find is that, for the most part, most Orleanians know only a little about cheese. It's never really caught on here, probably because relatively few of us have gotten past the idea that cheese is inherently an inexpensive food. Like anything else, the cheeses that are made by the most careful, particular methods are more expensive than supermarket cheddar. However, the number of calls and e-mails I've had from listeners and readers about St. James seems to indicate that there's at least a bit of a market. I know I'm enthusiastic about it. In addition to selling cheeses, specialty cured and smoked meats, pates, and the like at retail, they assemble these ingredients into salads, sandwiches, and boards. They don't sell wine, but if you want to bring a bottle in to pair with your cheese, you are allowed. St. James Cheese Company is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m. (8 p.m. Fridays). The phone number is 899-4737. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com