Rembrandt Gouda Cheese from Marion St. Cheese Market (.41 lbs.)
Item Purchased: Rembrandt Gouda Cheese (.41 lbs.)
Location Purchased: Marion St. Cheese Market / 101 N. Marion St. / Oak Park, IL
Price: $4.92 + tax
Purchased on: 01/19/08
Review: Thankfully, I am not working in Oak Park any more, for, when I did, I would routinely stop in at Marion St. Cheese Market on my way to the green line for a bit of cheese and a bottle of wine. It was money I didn’t mind spending, since nearly everything this small shop offers tends to be incredibly tasty. If, however, I would have kept not minding spending that money, I wouldn’t have much money to spend anymore. Every once in a while, though, it can’t hurt to venture out to this suburb to say hello to some old colleagues and partake of the fancy little cheese shop on Marion St.
This time, they almost got me with their offering of the newly hip and available Spanish Iberico ham that every food magazine and web site has been drooling on about, but I knew exactly what I wanted.
What I wanted, of course, was the shop’s best selling cheese and arguably the best Gouda in the world.
Rembrandt Gouda comes from Holland, is aged for a little over a year and just may be the last cheese you ever try once you try it. Rich and earthy, yet smooth, this cheese packs a lot into its flavor. Beyond the slight sharpness and crystallized protein (or is that salt… any cheese makers out there?), there is a subtle and creamy sweetness that finishes off the cheese and leaves your mouth craving more.
If you want to be fancy, this cheese pairs well with Italian red wines. I usually start off that way, but by the end, I am simply stuffing hunks of cheese into my mouth until my stomach hurts.
Rating: 4.75 / 5
September 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I picked some of this up at a place called Mazarro’s Market in St. Pete and I was instantly addicted. This is probably about the best overall cheese I’ve ever personally tasted. Great with a good red and shaved razor thin. Simply melts on the palate. Truly a great cheese.