Introducing… That Cheese Party

Astrology Night with The Hoxton Williamsburg + Vinny Wines

Cheese + Friends

The concept of “that cheese party” has been the backbone of That Cheese Plate since its start in 2013. These initial parties took place in college, in my tiny Boston apartment. We lacked a living room, so the kitchen was the soul of every gathering. My friends and I would buy cheap cheddar and pre-packaged meat from the corner store. My goal was to arrange a nice plate with our limited resources… Challenge accepted. Granted, a lot has changed, but what has stayed consistent is the sense of community. We hosted all types of parties at our apartment, both big and small. The cheese plate was always the center of every gathering.

It’s now 2019 and I still host frequent cheese parties at my apartment. Especially now that I’m writing a cookbook, I have a lot of cheese to share. However, I wanted to make these parties bigger, more involved, maybe add in a theme. I’ve cultivated such an amazing community on Instagram over the years, and unfortunately can’t fit everyone in my apartment for wine and cheese. When The Hoxton Williamsburg and Vinny Wines approached me about hosting an event, I knew this was the perfect chance.

Unlike That Cheese Class (my “do it yourself” cheese plate building workshop), That Cheese Party is a social gathering. We come together, eat cheese, listen to music, drink wine - It’s an opportunity to mingle and meet new people. Bonus points, we all love cheese. As for the theme, I am a big fan of astrology and noticed the similarities between the zodiac signs and cheese. For example, Aries is a fire sign, enthusiastic and direct. Blue cheese with hot honey is also a firey combination, definitely direct and incorporates enthusiastic tasting notes. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I love having fun with combining elements that normally wouldn’t go together (like putting chicken wings on a cheese plate)

Alas, That Cheese Party: Astrology Night was born. When I tell you that this was my dream party, I am not exaggerating. Cheese plates, birth chart readings, a photobooth, astrology themed drinks, zodiac cheese pairings, a playlist with all of the bangers (including Michelle Branch), custom astrology/cheese themed tote bags and a beautiful space to host. The Hoxton and Vinny allowed me to let my creativity run wild, and it was epic.

The Space

The Hoxton Williamsburg hosted the event in their Backyard space. I am in love with the aesthetics here. From the gold accents to the velvet couches it was the perfect room for a party.

THE PLATES

This is a cheese party after all. I’ve been doing monthly astrology themed cheese plates on Instagram, so That “Virgo” Plate made an appearance throughout the event. I also created a massive grazing table with prosciutto rivers for each zodiac sign. Lastly a vegan plate was added with delicious fig salami. Thank you to all of the amazing food brands who made this possible. I love to showcase some of my favorite products at these events.

Cheese: Cypress Grove, CHEVOO, Emmi

Honey: Mike’s Hot Honey

Crackers: Mary’s Gone Crackers, Firehook

Fig Salami: Hellenic Farms

that astrology flair

We had so many fun astrology elements to tie into the theme. I created tote bags for the event that read “Sun in Brie, Moon in Gouda, Rising in Blue” to playfully merge cheese with an astrological brith chart. Speaking of birth charts, we had readings by the fabulous Alice Bell and amazing customized birthday candles by Brithdate. We also had note cards with suggested cheese pairings for every zodiac sign illustrated by Sara Gilanchi and curated celestial drinks by Vinny Wines. Lastly the talented Pop-Up Florist created bouquets to represent Virgo’s power colors.

Let’s Party

This party was a dream come true. I had so much fun meeting everyone who follows That Cheese Plate and hearing how they enjoy cheese with friends. Cheese plates truly bring people together, and it felt like I was in a room with all of my friends. I also made a great cheese party playlist and was a bit too excited when Spice Girls came on shuffle.