“The Big Cheese” Makes a Big Splash in Ann Arbor

Zingerman’s Delicatessen sponsors screening and tasting at Michigan Theater

Who better to sponsor a screening of The Big Cheese—a delightful new documentary about the wild and wonderful world of cheesemongers—than Zingerman’s Delicatessen? After all, as Cheese Market News recently reported, from its very beginning back in 1982, the Deli has been a major player in bringing artisan cheese into the “mainstream culinary conversation.” 

So it was moo-sic to Ann Arborite cheese lovers’ ears to hear that the film would be coming to the beloved Michigan Theater on Friday, August 21, accompanied by a Deli-designed tasting, a live cheese-cutting demonstration, and—last but far from least—an in-person Q&A with the movie’s uber-charismatic co-executive producer and main subject, Adam “Mr. Moo” Moskowitz. 

“Zingerman’s is one of the OG retail cheese foodie destinations in the United States,” Moskowitz, a third-generation New York–based cheesemonger, said in an interview with this reporter at the event. “So it’s really gratifying to be able to show up here and represent the film with what I consider to be one of the best retailers of specialty food in the country.”

A sold-out crowd of nearly 200 lined up before the screening to snag samples at the Deli’s tasting table, which featured Fromagerie L’Amuse Pril Gouda, Imperial Buck from Deer Creek, and Zingerman’s Pimento Cheese, served with slices of French Baguette and Parmesan Pepper Bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse. 

After enjoying their fill of fine cheese, guests filed into the Michigan Theater’s Screening Room, where Deli Specialty Foods Manager Trevor Murray was onstage with Moskowitz to introduce the film. Trevor, a seasoned cheesemonger in his own right, spent four seasons learning the craft at Uplands Cheese in Wisconsin. 

“I told my entire family, this is what we do, this is what makes it special,” Trevor, who’d already previewed the doc, said of the passionate work showcased within it. “And I’m glad that you guys all get to see it.”

“For me, this movie really is a love letter to cheesemongers,” Moskowitz added. “My goal with the film was that you’d watch it, you’d leave here wondering who your local cheesemonger is, and then you’d go and engage with that person.” 

Monger Mania

Directed with zippy flair by Sara Joe Wolansky, The Big Cheese follows Moskowitz—a larger-than-life figure known to dress up in a cow costume and lead chants of “Moo baa maa!”—as he coaches a team of ace American cheesemongers competing in the prestigious Mondial du Fromage in France. 

Needless to say, the Americans are serious underdogs in the European-dominated competition, which includes a written exam, a blind tasting, a cutting test, an oral presentation, and a plateau/display challenge. At the time of filming, no winner had ever hailed from the US. 

The movie takes viewers behind the scenes of the colorful cheesemonger subculture, full of fascinating characters committed to sourcing, curating, serving, and educating the public about world-class cheese. And though the high stakes of the Mondial keep us on the edge of our seats—as we’re drawn into the moving personal journeys of the American competitors—the real heart of the story undeniably lies with Moskowitz himself.

From making and losing a million bucks working for Yahoo! during the dot-com bubble to struggling to launch a rap career, the New Jersey–born Moskowitz took a circuitous path before finally joining the family business, Columbia Cheese (now known as Maker to Monger), and embracing the role of cheesemonger. He also operates Larkin Cold Storage in Queens, New York, and is the founder of the annual Cheesemonger Invitational extravaganza (where some of our own Deli mongers, including Zach Sievers, have competed in the past!).

But amid his rise in the industry, Moskowitz faced a hard battle with addiction and mental health. As the documentary poignantly reveals, he credits the cheese world with helping him pull through.

“What’s really cool for me is, now that the film has been shown, finding strangers reaching out to me on Instagram, telling me how it’s changed their life, how it’s given them hope, how it’s allowed them to feel seen in ways they never knew possible,” Moskowitz said in our interview. “To talk about mental health and addiction as not a cautionary tale, but as a story of redemption and opportunity—that is life-changing.”

And as for how the scrappy American squad fares among the globe’s greatest cheesemongers at the pressure-packed Mondial? You’ll just have to watch the film—which is still showing at the Michigan Theater and which starts streaming in September—to find out. 

Cutting the Cheese

After the screening, Moskowitz returned for a lively discussion with the enthusiastic audience. But the crowning moment of the night belonged to Zach Sievers—import cheese buyer at the Deli, and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional^®—who had a chance to show off his technical prowess.

In front of a riveted room, Zach used a cheese wire to expertly open and break down a golden, 72-pound wheel of Le Gruyère AOP 1655. (AOP is a strict official quality seal that stands for Appellation d’Origine Protégée, or “Protected Designation of Origin,” meaning that every step of the cheesemaking process takes place in one geographic region, using traditional methods.)

Even better, attendees got to taste the elite Swiss Gruyère on their way out of the theater—as they chatted with the eminently approachable Moskowitz, who could be heard asking folks, “What did you think of the movie?” It was a perfect edible ending to an Ann Arbor evening that celebrated cheese, film, craftsmanship, and community. 

“I want to send a special shout-out to Zingerman’s,” Moskowitz had said from the stage earlier. “Ari Weinzweig is a guy that I looked up to when I came into the business 20 years ago. He was described to me as an anarchist. That resonates with me. 

“What resonates with me even more is the Zingerman’s philosophy,” he continued. “Especially this idea of hospitality, where you show up and they make you feel warm and welcome, and you’re engaged with them, and they guide you through your sensory experience. This is something I wish the whole world would do more of.”

And to that, let us all say, Moo baa maa.

Photos by Sean Carter/Zingerman’s Delicatessen