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12
January – March 2014
www.deltalivingmagazine.com
DELTA
DINING
By Noreen Nagao
pastrychefnoreen@aol.com
L
odi remains a quiet, agri-
cultural town reputed for
its sweet Tokay table grapes a half
century ago, but the vast vineyards
that surround Lodi today are the
source of bounty that is driving
change in many ways around the
city.The tokay grapes of yesterday
have virtually all disappeared and
have been replanted with hearty
wine varietals. Over the past 10
years, the burgeoning winery
trade in Lodi has grown to 85+
local wineries, many of which are
producing wines that have gained
national notoriety. These wines
have awakened the taste buds of
the locals, and the wine tasting
rooms have become a popular
destination of folks near and far.
The appreciation and expectation
of quality foods and wines have
brought about a culinary revolu-
tion in Lodi.
Although there are more than a
few fine local restaurants and spe-
cialty food shops, Cheese Central,
is the source of the biggest buzz
in town and is largely responsible
for training the palates of the many
who come to sample a taste of
cheese to accompany their favor-
ite wine. Cheese Central’s, cheese
master and owner Cindy Della
Monica, opened the shop three
years ago when the local economy
was at its bottom.
Cindy’s vast culinary exper-
tise and dedication to local small
business has propelled the trend
of culinary awakening. At Cheese
Central you will find a variety of
tasty accessories like fruit preserves,
crackers, olives, charcuterie, Lodi
Olive Oil, Bruno’s Peppers, and of
course lots of cheese!
Up to one hundred varieties
of cheese are available most days,
while the majority of them are
made in 12 different European
countries, her shop carries about
20 American cheeses and offers
several varieties of the Fiscalini
brand cheese, which is made in
nearby Modesto.
Since the store’s opening three
years ago, Cindy notes that the
expectation and tastes of custom-
ers have steadily advanced, and to
keep pace with customer demands,
Cindy has continually refined the
quality and variety of cheeses of-
fered. She notes that a large por-
tion of the shop’s customer base
is from out of town. Visitors are
drawn here because of the win-
eries. As for wine and cheese-
pairing, Cindy has worked with
22 of the local wine makers, so far,
to create a list of recommended
wine and cheese pairings; she also
has a list of cheeses that pair best
with each wine varietal. Cooking
classes, craft beer, sparkling wine,
raclette and fondue rentals are also
available here. It’s a fun environ-
ment where you can taste most ev-
erything in the store and increase
your food knowledge.
Cheese Central, 11 N. School
Street,Lodi,CA,95240www.cheese-
centrallodi.com 209.368.3033
A new addition to the Lodi
restaurant scene that has upped the
ante on quality fresh fish is Koma-
chi Sushi. The restaurant opened
its doors last year in August. Kom-
achi Sushi is a small restaurant
with a cozy, friendly feel. Owner
and General Manager, Sunny Cho,
draws upon her culinary experi-
ence in Korean, Japanese, Chinese
and Mexican cuisines to create the
unique and tasty sushi rolls that
seems to be a source of attraction
for many diners.
One of their show stoppers is a
sushi roll encased in aluminum foil
and delivered to the table flaming!
Here you’ll find a large menu of
creative, fusion-style sushi rolls, as
well as traditional Japanese dishes
like sukiyaki and seafood yosenabe.
What’s different here? Rotating
Lodi:
A Spot for Foodies
Photos courtesy
Cheese Central
Photo courtesy
Komachi Sushi