Edible Food Finds: Pecorino, North Grafton
Photos by Katie Noble
In a small country cheese shop on Route 30 in North Grafton, Simone Linsin creates a community for her customers similar to the European village and marketplace of her childhood.
Linsin grew up in a small town near Heidelberg, Germany, where the market was essential to the community and its way of life. Her family lived and worked in a building where her grandfather was the butcher, her mother was the caterer and her aunt ran the restaurant. Years later, Linsin’s part-time job at a specialty foods store sparked her passion for all good things in life, and she decided to open her own shop.
“I realized in the world of cheese how needy the American consumer was— wanting to be educated on how to eat, how to serve and what to eat,” she says.
At Pecorino, Linsin offers her customers a choice of 80 cheeses and a balance of local and imported items with everything that enhances the cheese experience, from olive oil to crackers, jellies, nuts and chocolate plus a curated wine selection with off-the-beaten-path varietals. “We try to find things that aren’t everywhere,” she says, adding, “It has to be top-notch good.”
The shop has become its own little marketplace, she says. Her customers tell her, “‘When we’re in here, we feel like we’re in Europe and we’re in a different world.’” She adds, “They are so thankful that we’re here. I can’t think of a better place to be.”
This story appeared in the Spring 2019 issue.
