Have you seen High Country Creamery at the Morgantown Farmers Market?
If not, for one, go see them - they have delicious cheese. But, also, you can check out their brick-and-mortar location in Grantsville.
In 1958 a young 16-year-old voiced the desire to provide an opportunity for jobs that would allow individuals, like his uncles, who were ordinary hard working farmers, to have a retirement and live well. He has done this successfully as an entrepreneur of another business and now in his retirement, plans to do it again. Only this time it's cheese. (At 16 years old he also voiced his belief that cheese should be made locally using milk from nearby farms and that he would like to have a cheese plant someday)
Now he has the added incentive to be able to do it with family, who have the same vision, and a longtime friend who is also retired from his own business. It's a way of giving back to the community where his dream originated.
Simply put: to give the common men and women a worthwhile job opportunity where they can excel. We believe it is more important to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish, so that knowing how to fish he will always have food."
The creamery is amazing - you walk into a shop with tons of local goodies, you can watch them make cheese, and there is a small cafe: Farmers Table Eatery. Here, I got a delicious ice cream cone sourced with local milk.
The butter pecan ice cream was just super smooth, creamy and delicious.
Let's also talk about their cheese for a second. Because I get this stuff ALL the time.
They have a cheesehouse spread, which comes in plain, dill, pepperjack and chive.
They have fresh mozzarella, aged cheddar, feta, "The Rev" - a coffee cheddar, and cheese curds in plain, crabby, dill and pepper jack.
Who doesn't love a good cheese curds? It's the perfect snacking cheese.
You can get most of this at the Morgantown market, but if you want a little day trip, it's fun to go visit the shop.
There is shopping, you can get a bite to eat, and you can see how it gets made. The space is really beautiful, and it's supporting the local folks.
So, go on. Try 'em out. Their new location is awesome.
Grade: A
It's rare that I make the trek to Maryland for a meal - despite it being pretty close. But, I was meeting with friends nearby, so they suggested The Cornucopia Cafe.
This sweet restaurant has a barn-chic vibe. Lovely wooden floors, giant wooden beans, a stone fireplace, yet delicate white lights and a corrugated steel bar. It's a really lovely space.
The Cornucopia Café serves a fresh menu centered around local food, featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. We’ve gathered our favorite recipes into a scrumptious selection of quiche, panini, fresh pasta, soup, salad and stir-fry, and included a bar with beer, wine and homemade sodas. Visit the to-go counter for specialty coffee and food to take along on your morning commute, or for a satisfying mid-day pick-me-up.
Our outdoor seating will provide ample space for your next book club gathering, getting together with friends for a glass of wine or a lunch meeting with colleagues.
The menu has a nice mix of sandwiches, salads, and big plates. There was something called a "Pimento Cheese Wickey," which of course immediately caught my attention. It's a thick spread of their original house specialty pimento cheese between two slices of toasted white bread. I also got a side of the broccoli salad. The sandwich was really tasty! It was SO cheesy and a hint of spicy, but absolutely delish. I love the broccoli salad for some texture, a bit of sweetness and a bit of acidity. Seriously, one good lunch.
Grade: A
High Country Creamery is now appearing at Morgantown's winter farmers market.The next markets will be Dec. 6 & 22, Jan. 3 & 17, Feb. 7 & 21, March 7 & 21 and April 4 & 18. These winter markets are located in the Wesley United Methodist Church gymnasium at 503 N. High St.
I got a sneak peek at this creamery when I went to a butcher shop's opening (in Maryland) recently - I'll write about that later. But I had a chance to try their feta - amazing, and the cheese curds, also amazing. I ended up buying some of the cheese curds. Look at the ingredients - milk, culture, salt, enzyme. Fresh, delicious.
If you see them local at the markets, give them a try. Delicious cow cheese.
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