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.
In addition to the stinky factor, each cheese has a suggested wine pairing. The owners of Stinky Bklyn are also the owners of Smith & Vine, a wine shop across the street, making finding the right wine a breeze.
The only small disappointment was that, despite their commitment to other locally made products, the cheese case was almost entirely represented by Europe and distinctly lacked local artisinal cheeses. Regardless, the store has a friendly neighborhood feel that I loved and though their cheese selection wasn't overly unique, it's definitely a worthwhile trip for those in the area.
- Patrick, the Cheesemonger
| Location: |
261 Smith Street
Brooklyn,
NY
11231
|
|---|---|
| Phone: |
718.522.7425
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| Website: | stinkybklyn.com |
| Categories: | dairy & cheese |
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© 2010 Apartment Therapy
Having a 'nose' factor is great! I'm very new to the world of cheeses, and need this sort of info to navigate this undiscovered country.
A cheese-loving friend had his own system, giving cheeses a 'stinky sock' rating from 0 to 5. Needless to say, I stayed away from the '4 stinky sock' cheese. :)
Michelle, well you're certainly in the right city to discover cheese! Quebec makes some tremendous cheeses. Enjoy. Check this:
http://www.dairygoodness.ca/en/Consumers/organization/cheese_prix/2006EditionChampions.htm
i hope this won't be another trendoid that old-timers in brooklyn love to hate. if only stores such as this one won't be so snotty in terms of prices and contrived in appearances, brooklyn will be a much nicer, more real place to live in unlike what it is now.
I was just in Stinky this afternoon and I was a little let down. It is so cute from the outside but the selection is underwhelming. Consider it a good addition to a neighborhood, but not the go-to place for cheese.
FYI - Formaggio Kitchen *may* open this Friday at Essex St. Market. Which is extremely exciting.
The original store in Cambridge, MA is an absolute Disneyland for tasty things -- cheese, jams, chocolates, salts, spices, etc.
Not sure what you mean. They have over 100 cheeses to start and I can't imagine how they will grow from here. Very few places in Brooklyn especially in this hood actually have that. I am very excited they are here!
I think Stinky is great. They do have a lot of the classics from Eurpoe and I know it is very difficult to source the best from the states. In fact you have to work directly wioth the farmers and it can be very expensive. I have already noticed a few very artisanal US cheeses and was told they are building on them now. They also have Neil's Yard stuff directly from Neil's Yard.
I hope the Formaggio Kitchen isn't in competition with Saxelby Cheesemongers, also in the Essex St. Market. They were truly the best cheese shopping experience I've had since joining Murray's.
I think that the Essex Street Market has some sort of non-compete policy that makes sure that the vendors all sell different things so that everyone can succeed. Saxelby Cheesemongers has a very specific selection so it seems like that would be pretty easy to accomplish...
So maybe they'll sell mostly European cheeses (but no Comte!). Sometimes you just need some Gruyere for a recipe, even though you love the Twig Farm Square Goat cheese.
I suspect Formaggio Kitchen will have very different things than Saxelby. Cheese is a big universe and I think it works for both businesses to specialize cause you aren't going to make $ trying to outprice each other. Plus the city, as a whole, has plenty of good places to get cheese. When I'm in Cambridge (MA) I load up at the original store, which is similar to Murray's but has more non-cheese goods.
I have to agree with Gemma. I'm sickened by the contrived looks that these cheese places have. I like Formaggio's so much better than Saxelby because there is a better selection and you feel less pushed to buy.
I've been to Saxelby's quite a few times and never felt pressured to buy (though I love the shop and always do). As I think I stated in a later review, when I did visit, I found Fromaggio Kitchen to be a perfect compliment to Saxelby's. I'm not sure what you mean by "contrived looks"....