Beecher's Opened Today, Curd Nerds in Heaven

Kurt Beecher Dammeier, an owner, was on hand, dishing out gooey macaroni and cheese at the café station, which also offered several grilled cheese sandwiches, baked goods, and tomato soup.

Lauren Shockey

Baked goods on display

Lauren Shockey

The shop's famous macaroni and cheese

We wended our way up to the mezzanine level, which offers a great view of the cheese making in action, and dug into our lunch. Made with penne, the macaroni and cheese ($4.82) was nicely creamy with a good robust flavor thanks to Beecher's Flagship and Just Jack cheeses. We personally prefer our mac to be crusty on top, but hey, you can't win 'em all.

Lauren Shockey

Flagship and ham sandwich

We did quite enjoy our grilled cheese ($7.35), which was made with ham and the shop's signature nutty Flagship.

But better yet, in celebration of opening day, the store was giving a 50 percent off discount! But it might not last all day. "It'll end when I decide it's over," said Dammeier. Only one way to find out.

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