Everyone Loves a Cheesy Ending
“Dessert without cheese is like a beauty with only one eye,” says Kurt Mullican, owner and cheesemonger at Greys Fine Cheeses. He was quoting Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a lawyer, politician—and avid cheese lover—who lived in France 200 years ago.
In the U.S., it’s traditional to end a nice dinner with a sweet dessert, but that’s not the case everywhere. In France, says Kurt, cheese is usually served before or even in lieu of dessert, and in the U.K. it’s common to eat cheese after dessert. What accounts for this difference in American and European dining? In America, we’re not into the slow-food dining experience as much as Europeans, and our dishes can be large and elaborate, rather than featuring simple, stand-alone foods like cheese.
“If you’ve ever had dinner in Europe as an American, it can seem like it takes forever,” says Kurt. “A plate of great cheese is an experience—something to slow down and savor with good wine and good company.”
If after-dinner cheese isn’t something you’re used to, we have Kurt and two other local cheese aficionados to help you get started.
Greys Fine Cheeses: A historical love affair
709 South Mendenhall Road
greyscheese.com
Kurt and his wife Jackie Mullican self-identify as “the cheese people” and want Greys to be a one-stop-shop for all things cheese.
“The best thing about cheese after dinner is savoring a few good cheeses, sharing tasting notes with your guests or family, or pairing them with a nice glass of wine,” says Kurt. “If you visit a cheesemonger, they’ll be able to ask what you’re drinking, and help you pick cheeses to suit your beverage. A knowledgeable monger will also give you details and intriguing backstories you can share with your guests.”
For a cheese dessert, Kurt recommends a progression of three to five cheeses or a larger portion of just one cheese.
“I’d go for a soft-ripened cheese like robiola, one semi-soft, a firm, and a hard cheese, then end with a silky blue cheese. This formula gives you a broad taste of cheeses, slowly leading up to the most flavorful,” he says.
Kurt’s passion for cheese is rooted in his love of history. “It’s wild how much time and attention to detail go into cheesemaking and that people have been at it for more than 7,000 years. I’d like to think that there are millions of people walking around today that are here because cheese helped their ancestors survive,” he says. “Cheese is given as gifts, used as currency, and it’s a great representation of where it’s from.”
And, at a personal level, Kurt considers closely the things he puts into his body. “I want handmade, as close to the source as possible,” he says. “I want complexity, seasonality, and great texture. I want a backstory and tradition.
To me, table cheese should be something that lets your guests know you love them.”
Kurt’s recommendations
Kurt likes Camembert after a meal. “I can eat more than I should, and it never gets old,” he says. “I’m somewhat of a purist—no crackers or jams, just a soft, gooey cheese in all its glory.”
He also says blue cheeses are great dessert cheeses; he recommends balancing the salty ones with dessert wines like Sauternes.
Amelia Gene’s Photos by Kim Thomas
Amelia Gene’s: Cheese from our own part of the world
255 South Front Street
ameliagenes.com
When Amelia Gene’s opened in October 2023, Chef Nate Henssler knew the restaurant needed a cheese cart. He had been inspired by a trip to Greece, where he and his wife, Jessica, visited Spondi, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Athens. Spondi’s cheese cart includes 25 options and made them “feel like kids in a candy store.”
In the beginning, Amelia Gene’s cheese cart—which has grown from nine options to 18—was a hard sell.
“It was difficult for servers, and it didn’t resonate with our guests,” Nate says. “Cheese in our culture is something you eat at the beginning of the meal. So, in March, we put it at the top of the menu and on the dessert menu. Now guests see it in two different places.”
At Amelia Gene’s, all cheeses are domestic, which is important for their American fine dining theme.
“It’s been fun and a challenge trying to stay within a few-states radius of sourcing the cheese, but it’s worth it. We want to support these creameries that are family-run, craft businesses,” Nate says.
Most people choose three to five cheeses from the cart. (Cheeses are priced at $20 for three and $30 for five, with a la carte pricing for those who want more.) They’re often paired with baguettes from Hive Bagel & Deli, housemade candied walnuts, and a quince paste.
Nate says it’s an absolute perfect way to end a meal.
“The cheese cart just feels a little fancier. When you get [cheese] after the meal, it’s special,” he says.
Nate’s recommendations
Nate’s favorite cheese is Appalachian by Meadow Creek Dairy in Virginia; it’s aged for at least three months and has a mushroom earthiness with notes of lemon.
The cart’s most popular cheeses are Barely Buzzed (an espresso and lavender rubbed Utah cheddar by Beehive Cheese) and TomaRashi (a toma cheese with togarashi spice blend made by Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company in California).
Bari Photos by Chip Chockley
Bari Ristorante: 55 Italian cheeses and counting
524 South Cooper Street
barimemphis.com
Bari Ristorante e Enoteca has a staggering 55 cheeses on its menu—but when they opened 22 years ago, there were only three.
Chef Jason Severs says getting the cheeses from various regions in Italy was a process. “It was very difficult in the beginning. I would look for cheeses in Italy and then work backwards to get them to Memphis. Over the next five years, it became more accessible and the market grew,” he says.
Despite the challenge, it was important for them to have a cheese service, Jason says.
“No one was doing it. When we started having a cheese service at the restaurant all those years ago, we started with two regions in Italy, and now almost every region is represented,” he says.
“There is such a variety in everything and in flavors and textures. If you can come in and say, ‘I want XYZ,’ we can match you. We want an example of everything.”
Jason says most people enjoy cheese as an antipasto course, but some order it at the end of the meal because they can’t have sweets, or they want a digestif. Cheese, he says, is also a palette cleanser for some people.
For dessert, orders tend to veer towards cheeses that are sweeter or soaked in wine, blue cheeses, or softer cheese. Customers prefer something that’s not overpowering.
Bari doesn’t put fruit or any type of accompaniment on the plate, as most of the cheeses are artisanal and the chef wants the tastes of the cheeses to stand on their own.
With most priced between $7 and $10, all 55 cheeses are available every night and can serve as antipasto, dessert, or even an entire meal. Bari hosts wine and cheese pairings and even cheese wheel breakings. And, with at least a day’s notice, you and three of your best friends can taste every cheese on the menu for $250.
Jason’s recommendations:
Jason recommends the Occelli in Foglie di Castagno, which is a cow and sheep milk combo. The cheese is wrapped in hazelnut leaves and aged for at least 90 days. He says it tastes a little nutty. “It’s crumbly and it’s smoky, with a tobacco-y, leathery, and earthy and forest floor type of taste.”
Erica Horton is a freelance journalist who loves to learn and write about almost anything. @chewsipfly
Kim Thomas is a lifestyle blogger and photographer based in Memphis. Launched in September 2010, her blog, KP Fusion, provides of-the-moment fashion, style, and beauty tips and trends with a little Memphis flavor thrown in. @kpfusion
Chip Chockley, an attorney by day, has been a professional photographer since 2008. Things that make him happy include tacos, mai tais, and his wife and kids. @chipchockley