text: Yes I am a foodie Yes I was reared in the pastoral Driftless Zone home to some of the best dairy in Dairyland Yes I am quite fond of Jenis Splendid Ice Cream which in Madison is carried here and only here However the customer service here runs the gamut from distracted to disinterested to downright rude nnI stop in maybe twice a month Fromagination carries a plethora of hardtofind artisanal and gourmet food items The charcuterie offerings are spare which was a bit of a letdown but they do boast a decent variety of beautifully displayed and properly packaged cheese though it is not as extensive as I would expectdespite Fromaginations artful arranging I would venture a guess that Whole Foods selection is nearly equivalent and less pricey I just cannot handle the counter staff I think it mainly stems from a time this winter where a gentleman was asking to taste a few cheeses he was putting together a cheese platter he said and was not quite sure where to start After he asked to taste a few cheeses and was peering into the case the woman behind the counter sighed loudly put a hand on her hip and said Are you actually going to buy some cheese or are you just trying to get free samples The man was flabbergasted as were all of us in the store and stammered Madam I am having a dinner party for some of my professors and I really wanted to impress them with a nice cheese plate But I guess I will take my business elsewhere Clearly embarrassed he turned and walked out nnThats the most extreme example I have witnessed though on separate occasions I have heard people say I have money to spend here as they stood stymied by the lack of attention but it exemplifies the general vibe pretty well With the marked exception of one kind older man who is patient and helpful when I am there the cheesemongers at Fromagination seem aloof and haughty I often dread going in even if I need something that I can only get there because I feel very pressured to purchase lest they think I am merely sampling the wares Also I generally have a good idea of what I want to buy but sometimes they will steer me away from it This is a very hard cheese Are you sure that is what you want Yes I know that Vintage Van Gogh cheese basically crumbles to the touch I also know that its nutty caramel flavor is exactly what I want Thanks nnI will keep going to Fromagination especially because the shop takes great pains to promote localregional cheese makers but I hope they consider the constructive criticism and perhaps start having fun with the idea of selling cheese