Author Archives: Milkfarm

LA Times

February 2025- LA Times Food

The cheese house that Leah Park built is a thing of beauty and community. Milkfarm’s owner, a cheesemonger in her own right, assembled a friendly and helpful team of like-minded cheese lovers who’ll direct you through their cases of hundreds of ever-rotating cheeses as well as everything else one might need for a good time: house-blend olive oil, artisanal charcuterie, seasoned salts, dried pastas and jarred sauces, mustards, pickles, jams, honeys, chocolates and wines, beers and ciders galore. For real cheeseheads, there’s even a monthly cheese club membership.

Keep your eyes peeled for fundraising items that benefit a local cause, and events such as “meet the maker” where the faces behind your favorite cheeses and other in-store products drop by. Arrive early enough and you might snag one of Milkfarm’s daily sandwiches or famous chocolate chip cookies, which both normally sell out by early afternoon. There are plenty of gift ideas spread around the shop too, and for Valentine’s Day, you’ll find themed gift baskets and picnic boxes available for preorder. Looking for more food-focused goods and gifts? Visit Parchment Paper, Milkfarm’s well-curated shop around the corner.

Web screen shot of Culture Magazine's article on The Best Sake and Cheese pairings.

Sake to Me- Culture Magazine, November 2024

To access the full article on Culture Magazine’s Website, CLICK HERE.

If you think you’ve spotted more sake than usual these last few years, you’re right. According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association’s 2023 report, Japan exported just over 6.5 million liters of sake to the United States last year, the most exported to any country and a 145 percent increase since 2013. Bottle shops and specialty bars dedicated to the so-called rice wine are proliferating, and a bevy of domestic sake breweries have carved out a niche alongside the craft beer movement. Plus, sake’s fermentation factor feels very of- the-moment. Even the cheese world has caught on, most notably the mongers at Milkfarm Artisan Cheese Shop in Los Angeles, California. The cut-to-order shop has concocted nearly 40 sake- cheese pairings, collaborated with sake producers to teach classes, and hosted a multi-course cheese and sake dinner.

“Sake can be very delicate, fruity, powdery, and light, or it can be umami, grassy, dense, or syrupy,” says owner Leah Park. “It’s our job to taste the sake that we are going to work with and pick out qualities we want to highlight.” Park and her team search for cheese and sake pairings that “hold hands and run off into the sunset under a rainbow.” The Milkfarm team first assesses the sake using all five senses, observing the tipple’s color, clarity, and cloudiness, then scent, palate, and taste. “Additionally, there are times when we find that the sake changes with oxygen as the bottle sits open, or that it betters as the chill wears off,” Park says.

Chris Guida, lead server at sustainable sushi spot Rosella Sushi KPT in Kennebunkport, Maine, emphasizes that there’s no one-sake-fits-all when it comes to finding cheese companions. Breaking down the most popular types of sake, he explains that Junmai Ginjo and Daiginjo are both premium sakes with a wide selection made by the traditional process of polishing rice to varying levels. “Although subtle and sometimes overlapping, the differences between these sakes are highly nuanced and allow individuality to come through, similar to the way premium wine varietals can differ based on terroir,” says Guida. Nigori sake is partially filtered, which yields a soft, creamy, and fruit-forward sip. But it’s rich, pure Jumai sake that he says is the most versatile and “lets the cheese do its thing without fighting for the spotlight.”

All that said, don’t be surprised if, instead of a hazy pet-nat, sake shows up in the cocktail-hour spread of your most gastronomically inclined friend. And if you’re bringing the bottle, pick up one of these cheeses recommended by Park and Guida.

February 2024 Eater Los Angeles- Melt with You: How to Throw the Ultimate Fondue Party

Milkfarm was asked to R&D the perfect Fondue Recipe for our friends at Eater! We were also asked to be models for the cheesy photoshoot! To see the full article, CLICK HERE.


It’s little wonder that fondue is the national dish of Switzerland, a country that knows from winter: On a cold night, few things are more cozy than a pot of wine-infused melted cheese. For a recipe worthy of any fondue pot, we turned to Leah Park, the owner and cheesemonger of Milkfarm, a beloved artisan cheese shop in Los Angeles’s Eagle Rock neighborhood. Park’s fondue is a showcase of glorious Swiss cheeses that she chose for the specific flavors they impart (see her tasting notes in the sidebar below), but if you can’t find all of them, you can play around a bit with substitutions — at its most basic, Swiss fondue is a mixture of Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese. (There are also French- and Italian-style fondues, but that’s another story.)

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June 2023 Culture Magazine: The Hotlist

The Hot List: 9 Cheese Stars to Watch

Susan Axelrod | June 9, 2023
This article is from: Summer 2023 (Hot List)


Cheesemaking is steeped in tradition, some of which extends back thousands of years. These ancient ways and the dedicated people who keep them alive are worth venerating, while at the same time it’s exciting to watch those blazing cheese trails in new directions. The following stories spotlight nine trailblazers whose contributions to the wide world of cheese are already impressive, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.

To read the FULL ARTICLE, CLICK HERE.

wine enthusiast

Wine Enthusiast- The 10 Most Iconic Cheese Shops in America- March 2023

There are several ways to determine what makes an iconic cheese shop worth a visit. And as with many things in food and wine, there aren’t simple answers. But, some guidelines can help you find the best cheese shop for your needs.

Cheese educator David Asher believes how a shop engages with its community is paramount. “A great cheese shop makes connections between the cheese producers and consumers, and tries to form a relationship between them,” he says.

This connection is part of a larger cultural shift to understand where and how our foods are made. “Cheese stores can act as a liaison between good farmers producing good cheese and their consumers,” he adds.

Additionally, cheese scholar Carlos Yescas says the difference between a good and a great cheese shop often comes down to what’s for sale and how it’s being sold. A retailer worth its salt will seek out products from cheesemakers that share its values. This could mean supporting independent local producers, sourcing rare international labels and hiring and training staff to become cheese experts. In doing so, these shops become community hubs of cheese exploration.

You’ll know a good cheesemonger when you meet them because they’ll be excited to talk to you about their products and to cut samples for you to taste, says Christine Clark, a writer and cheese educator.

Willingness to give samples is key, she adds. One person’s cheese preference may be different than another’s. Plus, cheese is a living product and can taste different each time you try it. “Whereas wine has vintages by year, in cheese, each day can be like a new vintage,” Clark says.

See the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Who needs a pumpkin when you can carve a wheel of cheese? ? This little guy is La Retorta from @fincapascualete, a Spanish raw sheep’s milk cheese made with thistle. You’re meant to cut the top off and scoop out the rich, fatty, herbaceous cheese with a spoon (or with little crackers!). — 10/14/2022 #milkfarmlunch 1) HBB: French ham, fromage de meaux, cracked black pepper, & herbed butter on baguette 2) PROSCIUTTO: Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, sundried tomatoes, EVOO, greens, & marcona almond basil pesto on baguette 3) MUFFALETTA: garlic aioli, Salami Rosa, Louisiana chopped olive salad, greens, fresh mozzarella, fresh herbs, & EVOO on focaccia 4) MILKFARM GRILLED CHEESE 5)

Who needs a pumpkin when you can carve a wheel of cheese? ? This little guy is La Retorta from @fincapascualete, a Spanish raw sheep’s milk cheese made with thistle. You’re meant to cut the top off and scoop out the rich, fatty, herbaceous cheese with a spoon (or with little crackers!). — 10/14/2022 1) HBB: French ham, fromage de meaux, cracked black pepper, & herbed butter on baguette 2) PROSCIUTTO: Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, sundried tomatoes, EVOO, greens, & marcona almond basil pesto on baguette 3) MUFFALETTA: garlic aioli, Salami Rosa, Louisiana chopped olive salad, greens, fresh mozzarella, fresh herbs, & EVOO on focaccia 4) MILKFARM GRILLED CHEESE 5) ???

Wine Wednesdays with Sam! Episode 40: Domaine Giacometti “Sempre Cuntentu”

?? Wine Wednesdays with Sam!
Episode 40: Domaine Giacometti “Sempre Cuntentu”