Last week, on the night before an appointment with a new doctor, I had the following dream: I was at the grocery store comparing different brands of chicken stock when my doctor came in, weary after working a long shift at the clinic. She headed straight to the cheese counter, and I followed stealthily behind. From a safe distance, standing discreetly behind the bread rack, I watched as she began picking up big blocks and wedges of cheese, smelling them, smiling, and placing them in her basket. She seemed especially excited about a Maytag blue, some raw-milk Taleggio, and Mt. Townsend Creamery's Seastack. (I know because, what a coincidence, I love these cheeses too.) From this dream, there is only one logical conclusion to be drawn: It is easier to trust people who love cheese.

This weekend presents the perfect opportunity to find potential confidants as the fourth-annual Seattle Cheese Festival takes place at the Pike Place Market. For two days, the Market's cobbled streets turn into the hallowed (and, be forewarned, crowded) Cheese Concourse, where you can sample the delicious wares of dozens of cheese makers. There's also the annual Truckle Roll; ongoing fresh mozzarella–making demos from DeLaurenti Specialty Food and Wine (at 3:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, they'll be making burrata—über-silky mozzarella with fresh cream); and for the knowledge-hungry cheese lover, seminars (including the delightfully named "Do You Taste What I Taste?" and "From Curds to Customer").

Seattle Cheese Festival, Fri May 16– Sun May 18, Pike Place Market. See www.seattlecheesefestival.com for details and event schedule.