Glorious Cheese Shop Sandwiches

Once a year I make an annual pilgrimage to Williamsburg either right before or right after Christmas. I briefly stop at the Prime Outlets and spend no more than an hour and a half (I am not a fashionista). I then motor around to see what has changed. This year La Tienda opened up a retail shop. I then head over to Merchants Square for lunch at The Cheese Shop.

Such heavenly sandwiches! My all time favorite is smoked turkey on wheat with extra house dressing. So yummy...

It deserves a close up. Did I mention how yummy this was??

And because the rest of the day I roam around Colonial Williamsburg, I also purchase a 1/2 bottle of 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape.

Such exquisite heaven.

Of course, they also carry cheese and other gourmet delicacies. Don't forget to check out the wine shop in the basement. They always have a red and a white open for sampling.

In the evening my hubby and I eat dinner in the 'burg before returning home.

Get Thee to the Cheese Shop!

The Cheese Shop in Merchants Square in Williamsburg, VA to be more specific. And when you go, order a smoked turkey sandwich on wheat with extra house (dressing, that is). What a delight! Shaved smoked turkey piled on wheat bread. The bread crust satisfactorily crunches while the inside is extremely soft and fresh. The sandwich already has a smear of the house dressing - a delectable mix of whole grain mustard and mayonaise plus a few other things thrown in - but I need more which appears in a little plastic lidded container. And now to the eating. Over the years I developed a somewhat strange ritual when consuming this sandwich. First of all, I pull the crust off of the bread and dip them in the extra house dressing. Yum! Then I eat the rest of the sandwich dipping each bite into the house dressing. Oh my god - what a truly great taste sensation. And all for $5! (Wow, when I first started eating Cheese Shop sandwiches, they were only $3.)

I admit that if Williamsburg is busy, ordering a sandwhich can be a real pain in the ass - a line to order, an enormous line to wait until it's prepared, and a line to pay. All the while, jostling among tourists who do not have a clue. But the pleasure is well worth it. And if smoked turkey is not your thing - try a roast beef or country ham.