Say Cheese: Longtime "Plum Plums" Purveyor Straddles the State Line

Audrey Free operates a Cheese Shop at SoNo Marketplace every weekend. Free, who has operated Plum Plums cheese shop in Pound Ridge for eight years, offers a whopping 80 varieties at that location. At her satellite weekend cheese shop in Norwalk, she offers 20 cheese varieties.

"I'm working on the pairings with the 12 craft beers here," said Free as she created platters for customers of SoNo Marketplace's adjacent "Up the Creek" bar this past Saturday.

Free hails from a big Italian family and enjoys cooking.  "I had wanted to have my own business and I love making food for people," said Free who is a script supervisor in the commercial filmmaking industry.

"Quince paste is tangy and tart," said Free as she offered samples to the curious and hungry. "It cleanses the palate and matches up with the saltiness of the cheese."

A steady stream of patrons from the adjacent "Up the Creek" bar ordered up cheese platters which Free assemble with care and then hand deliver. Those unschooled in the world of cheese leave it to Free to assemble an assortment of hard and soft cheese, along with salami, olives and slices of quince paste. Others specified what they want on their platter.

This past busy Saturday at SoNo Marketplace, Free's assistant Gage Byrd worked the grill while Free waited on customers and answered questions.  

In addition to cheese platters, Free and Byrd served up fancy grilled cheese sandwiches with a choice of mozzarella or cheddar. 

Plum Plums is located in Pound Ridge at 72 Westchester Ave. Tel. (914) 764-1525
Cheese Shop at SoNo Marketplace at 314 Wilson Ave. Tel. (203) 838-0719 SoNo Marketplace is open Friday and Saturday fro 10:00am until 8:00pm, and Sundays from 10:00am until 6:00pm.