Cheese heads, rejoice: Cured opens Saturday in Boulder

Enamored of the daily trips they made to small-town markets while living in Europe, Will Frischkorn and Coral Ferguson, who are engaged, decided to bring an element of that shopping experience home with them to Boulder.

So earlier this year, the couple picked up a space on the east end of Pearl Street and got to work building Cured, a shop that will highlight dozens of artisanal American cheeses as well as cured meats, Frischkorn's own bread and value-focused and off-the-beaten-path wines.

Right now the duo is putting the finishing touches on the display cases and the glassed-in wine room -- because Cured will finally open this weekend.

Cheese is at the heart of the shop's offerings, though, and Cured will stock eighty varieties, most of which are domestic takes on European staples, and thirty of which have never been seen before in Colorado. Since cheese is seasonal, the selections will rotate frequently -- but initial offerings will include Dunbarton Blue Cheddar; a hard, aged goat cheese from Pholia Farms; a Camembert-style cow's-milk cheese from Kurtwood Farms; and Fruition Farms's pecorino and sheep's-milk ricotta, which just earned a nod from the American Cheese Society.

Meats will also be featured, with cases lined with prosciutto, mangalitsa, salami and other sausages -- some of which will be imported from Europe, and some of which will come from artisanal domestic producers. And the market will also stock olive oil, pickles, chocolate, fresh-baked bread and some produce, plus a handful of beers and a cellar full of wine.

"They're channeling out the picnic experience," explains Kate Lacroix, spokeswoman for Cured. The owners, she adds, believe the picnic is an everyday thing, whether you're eating your bread, meat and cheese in your dining room or in the park.

And while you could certainly put together your own picnic from all of those meats, breads and cheeses, Cured will also be building sandwiches and snack boxes.

If you're opting for a grab-and-go lunch, you'll be able to get a caffeinated beverage to go with it: Cured is sharing its space with Boxcar Roasters, which will have a counter on the left side of the room. And in addition to a run of espresso drinks and coffee, Boxcar will offer educational activities, including cupping.

Watch for Cured to start slicing at 9 a.m. this Saturday.