Cheese Bar's Steve Jones Wins Nat'l Cheesemonger Contest

Late last week the world found out what Portlanders already knew after Steve Jones, from SE Portland's Cheese Bar, was crowned the "big cheese" at "the 2nd Annual Cheesemonger Invitational."

Described as "Fight Club meets Dancing With the Stars... for cheese," more than 40 cheese shops, from Seattle to Sydney, competed at the Long Island, NYC-based Invitational for the title of best "cheese monger in the world."

While Jones himself could not be contacted (he's at a Fancy Food show in Washington D.C.), Eater talked to "Cindy" from the Cheese Bar who said the contest consisted of four rounds, and for the last challenge, "Plate Your Slate," Steve paired an Austrian mountain cheese with Xocolatl de David bacon caramel corn. First prize was $1,000 and a prize package for the shop. "Hopefully," says Cindy, "[the title] raises awareness of what a cheesemonger does and legitimizes the importance of good mongering."
· 2011 Cheesemonger Invitational [Official Site]
· All Previous Steve Jones Coverage [Eater PDX]