UPDATE: La Vigne says Culture Club is now opening on Wednesday, October 28. We as a city must endure one more weekend without a cheese bar. Sad trombone.

The beer- and wine-serving sibling to Calf and Kid cheese shop in Melrose Market will open its doors on Friday, October 23. Opening dates are notoriously slippery things, but Culture Club Cheese Bar owner Sheri LaVigne says this one is firm, so let's hope I didn't just jinx it.

A few other cities have cheese bars, but this glorious concept isn't currently in Seattle. "It’s really easy for people to interpret this as a wine bar," says LaVigne. "That's definitely not what I’m going for." Here, drinks exist to highlight the cheese, in an atmosphere as casual and unstuffy as the bawdy tasting notes she writes for her epoisses and chevre and aged gouda over at Calf and Kid.

When customers at La Vigne's shop ask about cheese pairings or recipes, she can give suggestions, but is never part of the actual experience. At Culture Club she can serve pairing flights: three cheeses and three corresponding pours of wine, beer, or cider chosen to display the cheeses' best qualities.

La Vigne says the small food menu consists of a few assorted bites (including the tangy chevre-chocolate truffles beloved at Calf and Kid), plus two hot dishes—a grilled cheese and "the most insane mac and cheese you'll ever have;" both will rotate seasonally. Her inaugural grilled cheese offering is the absurdly melty taleggio and sherried mushroom number pictured above. 

The bar will have a light-filled, all-ages section up front and a moodier 21+ space in back. All the extra real estate means LaVigne finally has a home for her cheese classes; the ones she puts on at the Pantry always sell out immediately. She's also envisioning "meet the cheesemakers" nights, much as other bars host local brewers and winemakers to taste through their wares and talk intimately about their craft. 

Culture Club's 1806 12th Ave address shares a wall with new brewery Outer Planet; the two businesses are already planning collaborations, like a beer brewed just for the cheese bar, and some pairing events in the future. The bar will be open from Wednesday to Sunday to start, opening at 4pm on weekdays and 2pm on weekends (saying open until about 10). Keep tabs on Culture Club's Facebook page for more updates as opening day approaches.