I am a foodie.  A die-hard foodie.  So when I first came to Wellesley in the Fall of 2009, I was incredibly glad to see that there was a cheese shop in the Ville and made a mental note of its existence.  A month into my first semester, my shampoo supply was completely depleted, thus forcing me to make a pit stop at CVS.  As I was browsing through the Burt’s Bees products, its yellow packaging with its honeycomb pattern had reminded me of cheese–oh yeah!  The Cheese Shop!  At the checkout line, I ran into my friend and convinced her to accompany me on my little excursion four stores down.  We had not even made it to CVS’s neighbor when I caught myself involuntarily scrunching my nose.  Man, what was that stink?!  If smell could be visually represented, I imagine this is what it would look like:

Goodness gracious.  Approaching the cheese shop only made the scent stronger.  My friend was clinging to my arm and pulling me back toward the other direction.  But I had to keep going–I will do anything for cheese!  (Even if it means dragging dead weight to the store).  We had approached the storefront, and now the smell was making us both contort our faces into strange expressions.  Normally when there is a strong smell, one usually gets acclimated to it.  At least, that’s what I told my friend in an effort to convince her to stay in the store with me.  But after 5 minutes, she was still gagging and said she would wait for me in The Body Shop two doors down.  Thus, I made my rounds around the store alone.  The layout and authenticity of the store reminded me of the cheese shop in my hometown Ville.  Perhaps that’s why I was inclined to stay–a touch of nostalgia coupled with a fabulous amount of cheese is enough reason for anyone to linger.  Although the store is called The Cheese Shop (known to the locals as Wasik’s), I was surprised to find a ton of other goodies.  On the right side of the store, there was a shelf housing local jams, various chutneys made in the shop, golden honey, crackers, chocolate, premium olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, coffee, tea, etc.  This side reminded me of my pantry at home–only bigger.  On the opposite side, there was a deli counter that housed charcuterie, wheels of various cheese, and an assortment of olives.  The two sides were separated by a small table that displayed gift baskets and other treats that one might take to a housewarming party.  In other words, this was the ultimate foodie heaven!

For the purposes of this review, I decided to refresh my memory and make another visit this past week.  Everything was just as I remembered it: dry foods on the right, perishables on the left, and a table to bridge the two sides together.  But one thing was lacking: the stink.  Where had that distinct smell vanished to?  I don’t know if the winter weather outside made my nose go numb or if ventilation improves in the winter time due to the makeup of the particles (yes, I am clearly not a science major), but the smell of the shop was not as prominent as I had remembered it.

The space was very easy to navigate, and that contributed to my positive experience there.  Although my sole purpose in visiting the store was to browse, the ease at which I could find specific products definitely made me want to come back again.  I am someone who enjoys seeing all the products and then determining my path through the store, rather than winding through various aisles and being surprised by the products I encounter.  Additionally, the storeowner is incredibly helpful, but not overbearing.  The owner, Mrs. Wasik was happily chatting with and assisting another customer with planning a dinner party, yet she still gave me her fair greetings when I entered the store.  And while I was browsing the shelves and taking in all the various products, Mrs. Wasik ducked behind the deli counter and gave me my space.