Fromagination, Madison, WI

This cheese shop, which does have some cheese tht is not made in Wisconsin, but it excels at high end cheese that is made in state, and they happily greet you when you enter the store, make conversation with all, offer tastes of cheese, and are equally comfortable with light banter and serious cheese talk. We mentioned we had a friend who is a cheesemake in Missouri and two people behind the counter said "Green Dirt Farm?"--yes! We knew them before there was a Green Dirt Farm and are well aware of their acocmplishments and awards in the artisanal cheese world--but so were they, and that is the sort of service you are getting, that and access to cheese that is so pricey that it's cost is advertised in the 1/2 lb. (less sticker shock that way. On the upside, if you want access to this level of cheese, this is the place to go, and they have an on line store, and free shipping to the area, including Iowa. We love Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve and we has a chance to taste it as well as buy it. This is well worth the visit if you love cheese and want to know more about what is happening with cheese in Wisconsin. We left poorer, but also a little richer.