$3.40. That's all I had. After reading review after review declaring how "cheap" the East Village Cheese Shop was, I decided to give it a shot. I would go in there with the change I had in my pocket and see what I could come out with.
As it turns out, I could have bought quite a bit, but not much was anything I'd want to walk away with. As you enter the store, the front windows are covered with specials. Grana Padano for $7.99, 8oz of Brie for $1.50…such deals, it boggles the mind.
How can cheese be that cheap? On the web, I've heard a lot of answers, but quality is rarely one of them.
I found it ironic that, while many reviewers described it as "good cheese for American cheese prices!", they failed to find the parallels. It's true that Camembert, no matter how poor, will win out over Kraft slices. But when the Camembert is a processed, factory produced cheese that just happens to be made in France instead of America, just how much of a difference is there?
Those qualms aside, there are some valid reasons to head to the East Village Cheese Shop: their crackers and biscuits are the very same brands carried at other speciality food shops and are, on average, $0.30-$0.50 less. They also offer a full line of Ben's cream cheese, which is some of the best in the city, at a similar discount.
In their cheese case, they have the same line of Goudas that other major shops carry, at almost $5.00 less a pound. The Midnight Moon (a young goat gouda), in particular, was an excellent deal at $9.99/lb.
There are two major caveats to even these though: tastings are not allowed, so you need to know what you're getting into beforehand, and the minimum purchase is a half pound. However, at their prices, I don't see the latter as much of a barrier.
So what did I get with my $3.40? An Italian ice down the street.
The NY Daily News answered this question for the ages, and told us how it was really Murray's fault.
"Greenberg's business plan had two key tenets: Buy wholesalers' surplus cheese at rock-bottom prices; then price it so it will fly out the door."
for the whole charmed story
http://www.nydailynews.com/city_life/story/61329p-57315c.html
I lived in that neighborhood for three years. My roommate went there every week. OK, so cheese experts may agree that the cheese is not all the finest quality. However, if you are having a wine and cheese party for a non-gourmet type crowd, you can buy a bunch of stuff for a cheese platter super cheap. A lot of basic on special cheese if $4-5 a lb maybe, with a half pound minimum. However, in the front cases, there are smaller portions of cheese for $1.50. THis means that you can make up a varied cheese plate for under $10. At a New York grocery store, you could probably get only two types for that price. THey also have $1 package of pitas that arrive soft. And, they sell olives by the lb. So, check it out.
But, remember:
1. CASH ONLY>
2. check the hours, i think they close at 6pm sharp.
Sorry, forgot to mention the Cash only thing. I just called them though and the hours I listed are correct. They do close at 6pm on the weekends.
I certainly don't believe myself to be a Gourmet or a Foodie. Personally, I simply like buying food from smaller producers (when possible) and believe it's worth the extra cost to support them. Other opinions may (and certainly do) differ.
At Murray's, we do sell some products from some larger producers, as well, and I'm happy we can offer those. But, if a customer were to ask me to recommend a cheese or product I loved, they wouldn't be the ones I'd go for.
You know what? The owner tried to let his employees take over in a co-op ownership when he retired, but it didn't work out, despite his best efforts. And the cheese may not be Murray's quality, but it's cheap and usually decent, and I bought a lot there when I lived in the East Village. Great place for bread and coffee, too.
And their blondies are amazing! You should have spent your money on that, if the cheese was beneath you.
I would have to agree with you that 8oz of brie cheese for only a little over a dollar seems like it might not be the best quality. Did you walk away empty handed then?
I did. To be fair, there was alot I could have gotten though. I just went looking for cheese, specifically. To that end, I found nothing I wanted to spend my money on. Their crackers and other items were the exact same products other stores carry for much less though, so there are quality deals to be had.
I think that you may have been biased before you went into the store and that's why you didn't have such a good experience. The stock rotates quite frequently and there are always good choices to be found if you look closely. I really do not understand the negative post. I've been going to E. Village Cheese for about 12 yrs. now.
OK everyone - do you actually read the whole post before you make all these comments?
He has not said they don't rotate their stock. He has not said they don't have variety. He has not said anything of a foodie or gourmet snob nature about them (and honestly - if you are reading and commenting on a food blog, aren't you a bit of a foodie yourself?). And he most certainly said nothing about whether or not the owner is a nice guy with good labor practices.
The only negative thing he said was that many of the cheeses come from factory farms and not from small producers. After all the talk I've seen here about sustainable farming and how all of you love the greenmarket I'm surprised that apparently being able to buy cheap cheese is more important to many of you than buying from a small farm where they care about the quality of the product and how the cows are treated.
In fact, if you read to the end, he even tells some of the good cheeses and other products they have there, and that they are at good prices. So - read more carefully and don't take this review so personally like someone's insulted your best friend.
Genevieve,
Actually, my husband tried to help the owner strike the deal for his staff, so I do know him (although he may not qualify as my best friend).
But here's my beef with the review. He walks into a place with $3.40, into a place he has heard is cheap, but that doesn't promote itself as cheap. (Sure, it has specials, but so does every store.) Yet he doesn't try anything and he writes a negative review. What's the point of that?
And yes, the place moves surplus cheese. That's its business model. If you can find me another cheese shop in the East Village, let alone one that sells sustainable cheese, I'll pay you money. If I wanted organic, sustainable cheese, I had to trek to Whole Foods on 23rd (this was pre-14th Street WFs), and before that, I had no choices. I've never seen organic cheese at the Union Square Market.
so what's the bottom line - can we visit the store or not - I am tempted to go in the heat tomorrow in the heat - Is it worth it?
I LOVE my East Village Cheese Shop. #$!@! the haters. It's a great deal, no frills, no pomp - decent cheese if you know what you want.
I completely agree with the review. I have been disappointed every time I've gone and have now given up.
I am sorry if I offended some people with my review. But, it is just that, a personal review. I do my best to be non-biased: I would never review Murray's cheese and do my best to, when I go into a store, compare it to the whole spectrum of shops out there, not just the one I work at. I did my best to offer a balanced view of this shop. As you'll read, half of my review goes into detail of reasons why one should go to this shop. But, It is, essentially, an editorial review and I would be lying if I said the cheese there was quality. It's cheap and it's bulk and, if that is what you are looking for, it's is an excellent place to shop. It's not what I look for when I look for cheese.
These store reviews are not part of my weekly post, they are a supplement offered as a side-effect of looking for cheese to right about. Though the cheeses there would be good for a informal party, they don't have the type of cheeses I would buy to review.
I hope everyone can calm down, know that I meant no one any harm and we can all get on with enjoying the variety of food shops the city has to offer.
it is a wonderful shop & the 1.50 brie is fab.
just do not try the mozzerella.