Artisan Cheese Company OfKors Bakery
Delicious Delicacies in Downtown Sarasota
By Rick Dakan
116 SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2018
on the town
the animals and farm are part of the cheesemaking operation.”
The rest of the cheeses are select favorites from Europe. “We’ve
brought some cheeses that have never been sold anywhere in
Florida before, a couple never in the entire United States.”
As they reach their sixth year, Artisan Cheese Company is
giving up its Main Street roots and moving a few blocks north,
to the new Rosemary Place. “It’s a little scary and exciting
being first to market, but I believe Rosemary will be the new
Main Street. Year-round residents we want to serve, who want
to shop locally.” The new location will be significantly larger
than the Main Street shop, with more room for an expanded
selection of artisanal charcuterie, ice cream, and specialty
packaged goods. Thanks to a recently successful Kickstarter
campaign that raised almost $50,000, they will also be opening
an Apprentice Kitchen and mentoring program, where they can
train future chefs and food purveyors for the next generation.
OFKORS BAKERY
While Artisan Cheese Company is forging a new path in the
Rosemary District, just a block up Main Street a new specialty
food shop has just opened its doors. Located in the space
formerly occupied by Bookstore1 (which has moved a few
hundred feet down the street), OfKors bakery is the latest
offering from Marie and Alex Korsykov. The family moved to
As downtown blossoms and explodes with new condos and retail
space, more and more Sarasotans get to live a “typical” city life:
a dense panoply of options, including specialty food shopping
within walking distance. Two of those options deserve a little
special attention right now, one old and one new.
ARTISAN CHEESE COMPANY
For almost six years, Artisan Cheese Company has been at the
forefront of that kind of specialized, urban shopping experience.
Located at the bayside end of Main Street, Louise Kennedy
Converse’s gourmet cheese shop has weathered the recession,
street construction, and now the building boom. Through it all
they’ve built a dedicated customer base that prizes quality and
service in addition to their delectable cheeses. “I’m so grateful
to the many customers who try hard to come every day,” says
Louise. “They know we provide a little extra service and expertise.
We’re storytellers. We educate our customers as we help them
navigate all the crazy names and different animals and find
what’s right for them.”
Artisan Cheese Company focuses on American artisanal cheeses,
made from raw ingredients that are seasonal and handled with
love and care by small cheesemakers. “The American cheesemaker
movement is having a renaissance, with thousands of cheesemakers
all over the country making amazing cheeses,” Louise explains.
“Seventy percent of our cheese is American Farmhouse, where