>> Dairy and Cheese Shops on Marketplace
Stinky, smooshy, runny, crumbly, delicious cheese. If you want to treat your guests to something special, nothing's as simple and beautiful as an artisanal cheese plate. Our writers have shopped for cheese from San Francisco to Boston—here are some of their favorite places to pick up a wheel or a wedge.
P.S. Nora Singley's Cheesemonger column is one of our favorite places to look for advice on any variety of cheese. As an alum of the famous Murray's Cheese Shop in New York (also on our list of best cheesemongers), she knows what she's talking about. Check out her column for advice on what to buy and how to shop.
- Saxelby Cheesemongers (Manhattan): It operates out of a little stall in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side. Anne Saxelby, an alum of Murray's Cheese, is the sunshine-smiled proprietor. She sells almost entirely farmstead cheese, many from New York State, as well as crème fraîche and butter.
- Whole Foods Fromagerie (Manhattan/Various Locations): The Fromagerie is definitely catered toward the cheese connoisseur. We walked out of there having spent considerably more and enjoyed ourselves considerably more than we had planned.
- Stinky (Brooklyn): Stinky Bklyn has a very friendly atmosphere, stocking a variety of charcuterie, oils, sauces, and chocolates, as well as cheese. The staff seemed knowledgeable, eager to help and the quirky take on ratings, with each cheese given a "nose" factor to gauge its stinkiness, was entertaining.
- Formaggio Kitchen (Boston/Online): Ask a salesperson for help picking cheeses, and "Goat, cow, or sheep?" is only the beginning. You're just as likely to be asked, "Stinky like a sock or stinky like a barn?" with complete sincerity. These people are smart, and they're sure to find the exact cheese you never knew you needed.
- Cowgirl Creamery (Washington, DC): Our nation's capital needed cheese. California-based Cowgirl Creamery opened up a store in Washington, DC "just in time to save us from the empty void that was DC's cheese scene," according to Steve B. on Yelp.com.
- Fox & Obel (Chicago): Fox & Obel is a full-service gourmet grocery store with a well-stocked cheese shop in Chicago's Near North Side. Prices are higher here than in a grocery store, but for harder-to-find specialty items, the store is an excellent resource.
- Provenance Food and Wine (Chicago): It is a grocery and wine shop with a focus on eating and drinking well everyday. Affordable wines (most between $10 and $25), Red Hen bread, artisanal cheeses and nice chocolates are available - really, what more do you need?
- Cheese Plus (San Francisco): Their local product selection is particularly strong. The staff was helpful and seems to know how to treat the cheeses. We were very happy with the Petit Basque and the Chevre Raclette recommended to go along with our salumi. We were even offered tastes without having to ask. A nice touch.
- Market Hall Foods (Oakland/Online): While we look for most of our food locally, Market Hall Foods is great for those rare items that can elevate a dish or a meal into something unique and special. Their online selection of cheese ranges from Parmigiano Reggiano, straight from Emilia Romagna, to Ossau Iraty from the French Pyrenees.
- Artisan Cheese Gallery (Los Angeles): Founded by a former lawyer and her parents, the Artisan Cheese Gallery in Studio City is a cheerful and charming destination for anyone with a more than a passing interest in cheese.
Photo: Cheese Plates from Market Hall Foods
Andrew's Cheese Shop in Santa Monica is great as well.
view trathbone's profile
for bay area folk:
cheese board berkeley is pretty good
view juice's profile
Pittsburgh:
Pennsylvania Macaroni Company!
Dearheart will take care of you. :)
view Jeni_Rae's profile
Fromagination (http://www.fromagination.com/cheese_wi.php) in Madison, WI is fantastic!
view dzaks's profile
Cheesetique (just outside Washington, D.C., north of Old Town Alexandria) is my fave for a variety of cheeses - http://www.cheesetique.com/
Cowgirl Creamery's decent, but Cheesetique just has so many more options, plus they keep a record of the cheeses you've purchased (if you ask) and all of their staff are incredibly helpful with partyplanning. It's pretty killer!
view foodielisam's profile
Not sure that I have ever panned a merchant, but the woman at Saxelby's is rude and condescending. Once was enough
view PunchNYC's profile
Some of the best cheese shops are right at the source: Marin French Cheese Co. (Rouge et Noir) in Northern CA and Rogue Creamery in Medford, OR are two of my favs.
view oldredbike's profile
Chicago:
Pastoral is awesome:
http://www.pastoralartisan.com/
view kategal25's profile
*sigh* Ottawa sooo needs a good cheese shop! (I wish a passionate cheese lover would take up the challenge)
view mschatelaine's profile
In Philadelphia, DiBruno Brothers. Three locations around town, but the original is in the Italian Market.
http://www.dibruno.com/
view leighalice's profile
Costco has better cheese, at better prices, than Artisan. Artisan's more like a sandwich shop.
There's also the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, Surfas, Andrews in Santa Monica, and The CheeseStore of Silverlake.
view FantasticMrFaux's profile
I find it funny that Cowgirl in DC is mentioned, but not the one in San Francisco or Marin. They're nice and very helpful, at least in the Ferry Building location. I know they have at least one other one but I've never been there.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
Jungle Jims, Cincinnati, OH. They dedicate a large portion of their store to cheeses imported from all over the country and the world.
http://www.junglejims.com/cheese/index.asp
view k1princesa's profile
I have to second the shout out to DiBruno Brothers - they are amazing!!!!! Definitely a must-visit when you're in Philly - in the Italian Market.
view learp17's profile
In Providence, check out La Laiterie!
http://www.farmsteadinc.com
Great staff, beautiful selection, and you can sit at the cheese bar while sipping a glass of wine and enjoying a cheese plate.
view universal mod's profile
Formaggio Kitchen/South End Formaggio only passes as knowledgeable if you haven't been cheese shopping for a while. The throughput is modest, so it's hit or miss if you will ever get something truly ripe for eating--but don't worry, they'll sell it to you anyway.
It's the best place in Boston, which is sad, since you can only gain a small understanding from their expertise.
Assume that their choicest selections are much better at their best (elsewhere in the world) before you judge the poor little cheeses!
view meekmeek's profile
Beecher's Cheese at Seattle's Pike Place Market!
view s7mylsup's profile
Steve's Cheese in Portland (it's in the back of Square Deal Wine) has some great cheeses, as does City Market.
view krister's profile
fairway in NY...... it's definitely better than whole foods. a larger selection and better prices. I go every week... we're very lucky and spoiled when it comes to cheese because of them.
view modern on long island's profile
Cheese Plus in SF is FANTASTIC!!!!
view mimiz's profile
How can you list Oakland Market Hall and not the Cheeseboard in Berkeley?
view m!'s profile
And... old school cheesemonger and affineur Ken Skovron of Darien Cheese in Darien, CT is SO rigorous and so knowledgeable.
As many commenters suggest, your list needs to go deeper.
view hauswriter's profile