BETTY SHIMABUKURO / BETTY@STARBULLETIN.COM
Ann Tuomelo, owner of Who Cut the Cheese?, uses a German-made cheese guillotine on the wheels of cheese she sells in her Kihei store.
Maui store is a
cheesy good timeWho Cut the Cheese? in Kihei
offers a taste of something new
KIHEI, Maui -- Cheese-- or shall we say, fromage --can be a serious matter, full of French words and a technical discussion of pasteurization vs. raw milk.
Or, cheese can be fun.
Ann Tuomela picks fun, which is how she came to name her new shop Who Cut the Cheese?
"Life is so serious," Tuomela says. "People need to laugh."
Tuomela calls herself "the Big Cheese," and what she's doing out there in the Azeka Shopping Center in Kihei would be worthy of note even without all the irreverence.
Lots of specialty food stores have a deli case stocked with upscale cheeses, but Tuomela's store is a true cheese shop, in the European tradition.
Her cheeses come from throughout Europe and the United States and are kept in whole wheels, cut to order.
Karen Syrmos, Oahu's foremost cheese importer, says what Tuomela is doing is indeed unique in Hawaii.
"The moment you cut into a cheese, the quality starts dissipating," says Syrmos, president of Island Epicure at Y. Hata & Co.. The ideal, practiced at the finest cheese shops: "Leave the wheel intact as much as possible."
Besides that, at Who Cut the Cheese? you get a cheese education -- and samples.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, shoppers visited in a steady stream and although Tuomela was alone in the shop, she spent at least 10 minutes with each person, offering commentary and a taste of something new. They inevitably left with more than they had originally come to buy.
"Cheese can be just as complicated, or even more complicated, than wine," Tuomela says, "but we wanted to present it in a fun fashion."
For example, this is how she introduces a new cheese, Bica, from Portugal: "Besides being really cute -- a little pillow-like cheese -- it's made by all three animals: cow, sheep and goat. It's got a lot of complexity, but it's not overpowering. It's just fun."
Tuomela sold wine on Maui for 12 years for Southern Wine and Spirits and Paradise Beverages, then decided last year it was time for something new. Coincidentally she came across the March 2002 edition of Wine Spectator that included an extensive cover story on cheese.
"I realized that cheese was very popular on the mainland, and we're always so far behind on our trends here. I went to each island and I didn't really find any cheese store."
Having identified her opportunity, she embarked on a nationwide tour of cheese shops.
It was an education, not just in cheese, but in the business. Too often, she encountered stores that not only didn't give samples, but wouldn't sell small portions: " 'Oh, we don't cut under 4 ounces.' That really didn't set well with me, especially if they didn't let people taste. I think you really have to let people taste, because cheese is so new here."
Her shop opened in May, also offering cheese accompaniments such as crackers, cheese-friendly produce and wine. The store is decked in reminders of her family: her mother's cheese board hangs behind the deli case, her great-grandmother's curtains are draped from the cupboards, a long-necked bottle of Chianti that has belonged to the family since 1965 is part of a wall display.
Tuomela's own knowledge in cheese has come through study, travel and tasting. "I can't say I am a maitre d' fromagier. We're just happy cheese mongers."
Who Cut the Cheese is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in the Azeka Shopping Center in Kihei. Call (808) 874-3930 or visit the Web site, www.whocutthecheese.net. Tuomela is hosting a tasting of American cheeses, 5 p.m. Oct. 29 at Stella Blues, also in the Azeka center. Cost is $50, including wine. She also plans a December event at Roy's Kihei featuring Spanish wines and cheeses.
Click for online
calendars and events.
