Real Cheese Shops

[matsutakekichigai]

If you are specificaly looking for english cheese there is also a little place in Redmond called Britt's. They have a restaurant as well as a little store with English Products.

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Are you possible talking about The British Pantry Ltd.? This is in Redmond@ 8125 161st Ave. NE. phone. 425-883-7511.

They have a selection of English cheeses. You might want to give them a call. They get shipments from England regularly.

matsutakekichigai

[little ms foodie]

We stopped in last Friday, what a treat! First of all these guys are great. Totally enthusiastic about their cheeses, giving us tastes of this and that, telling us about the cheeses that were really nice and ready!

We ended up getting 3 Irish cheeses. And for the first time ever I found a blue that I didn't hate, Cashel. ACtually bought some and served it with a bit of honey for my cheese course at my weekend dinner party.

Also picked up some fig jam.....YUM!

No Reblochon still, he said he has it but it is aging cause it's not ready. Maybe in 2 weeks I can finally make Tartiflette!

And I agree with Laurel, that window into their aging room is very cool!

[LEdlund]

I was there on Friday too (LMF, they told us we had just missed you!). We also bought the Cashel, which was fabulous. They had just received a large shipment of Neals Yard cheeses and we tried quite a few. Ended up buying the Coolea. A nice, ripe piece of Tallegio rounded out our purchases. We had stopped at the Dahlia Bakery on our way to the cheese shop and bought a loaf of potato/olive oil bread. Other than being a little soft to stand up to the cheese, the combination of flavors was fantastic. I can tell what my new Friday night routine is going to be!

I didn't see many local cheeses and they told me they are working on getting their supply lines set up. They are hoping to get some Quillisascut cheeses in there pretty soon.

[little ms foodie]

Too funny! We bought the Coolea too, and something like Abrahanam or the like???

Well maybe we should all just have an eG gtg at the Cheese Cellar! haha!

[little ms foodie]

Stopped in the Cheese Cellar again tonight after finding out they are the only ones who still carry Roblochon, no one else can get it any more since it's under 60 days old (???) Anyway Dennis is great! We also had a taste and bought a cheese that is part cow's milk and part sheeps milk with truffle bits in it. That will make a damn fine Alfredo!

He said this is the perfect time for Humboldt Fog so if anyone needs that or anything else I would stop in!

[lalala]

Does the cheese cellar carry the Neals Yard goat cheeses?

lalala

[little ms foodie]

Does the cheese cellar carry the Neals Yard goat cheeses?

lalala

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Yep!

[lalala]

Wow, i don't I have to schelp tymsboros and golden crosses from London to Seattle any more.....

sweet.

lalala

[pdxia]

Stopped in the Cheese Cellar again tonight after finding out they are the only ones who still carry Roblochon, no one else can get it any more since it's under 60 days old (???) Anyway Dennis is great! We also had a taste and bought a cheese that is part cow's milk and part sheeps milk with truffle bits in it. That will make a damn fine Alfredo!

He said this is the perfect time for Humboldt Fog so if anyone needs that or anything else I would stop in!

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The FDA specifies that raw milk cheese aged less than 60 days can't be imported into the US...so that's why you don't see much Reblochon (or much legal Reblochon, I should say!). This is an ongoing problem - so much great French and Italian (and other) cheeses are blocked from coming into the country because of the FDA's restrictions. Also, local producers aren't supposed to sell raw milk cheeses they produce that haven't been aged at least 60 days....

That being said, Jeffrey Steingarten has written about these insane restrictions (I think in The Man Who Ate Everything?) and his adventures in bringing in raw milk cheeses through US Customs - worth checking out!

[tsquare]

I checked out The Cheese Cellar last week.

I have to agree that they are fabulous people and they have great cheese and treats (lots of special Italian things.) I tasted so many different cheeses, without feeling like a freeloader - Dennis just kept sampling out things and chatting. I ended up with 3 - one, a goat (and I think sheep and cow) soft cheese packaged in a little dixie type cup. Two hard cheeses with herbal rinds - one an Irish Gouda "Coolea" that is sharp and great, the other, from Spain, with a buttered rind "Leiyea?" They printed out an information sheet on all three while ringing up my purchases - but of course, I don't have it with me.

They also have some tasty cheese from a woman cheesemaker in Montesano...a good story there - I'll let Dennis tell you.

Go. Do not let these people fail. Oh, the cheese is priced by the quarter pound, and he has a heavy hand - so when you ask for a quarter pound, you might get (and pay for) 6 or 7 ounces.

[little ms foodie]

I also forgot to let everyone know that the Cheese Cellar has wine tastings each Thurs. Buy your cheese and taste some vino!

[Placebo]

My friend Joyce just opened a cheese shop called Cheese Platters. It's right on Lake Washington, a few blocks from where Madrona hits it. I will attempt to dig up the address. She has a nice selection of imported and domestic cheeses as well as some rather lovely chese serving boards and platters.

[Eden]

I also forgot to let everyone know that the Cheese Cellar has wine tastings each Thurs. Buy your cheese and taste some vino!

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I just called & the tastings are from 4pm to 7pm on thursdays. The wine is complimentary & usually paired with specific cheeses. For example next thursday will be Spanish wines to go with a selection of spanish cheeses.

[cxt]

I also forgot to let everyone know that the Cheese Cellar has wine tastings each Thurs. Buy your cheese and taste some vino!

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AND....if you sign up for their email newsletter, they send you a coupon for 20% off your next purchase, excluding wine. Yet another reason to go, like the selection from Neal's Yard isn't enough!

[MT-Tarragon]

My friend Joyce just opened a cheese shop called Cheese Platters.  It's right on Lake Washington, a few blocks from where Madrona hits it.  I will attempt to dig up the address.  She has a nice selection of imported and domestic cheeses as well as some rather lovely chese serving boards and platters.

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I just stopped by Cheese Platters today. Joyce and Maria were very nice and helpful. I picked up some Sweet Red Pepper Gouda, some Edam and a little bit of ciresa. We also tasted a very creamy and delicious Humboldt Fog goat cheese, a very nice rosemary manchego, a tasty Rembrandt aged gouda and a few others. They have applied for their liquor license in order to sell wine as well.

The address is:

Cheese Platters

121 Lakeside Avenue

Suite 100A

Seattle, WA 98122

206-382-1133

Basically they are right across the street from Daniel's, in the same block as the Blue Water Bistro and the Leschi Market and Starbucks.

They don't have a really large number of cheeses, but I really enjoyed my visit there and plan on going back often. Hopefully they'll get some nice wines in as well.

-Matt

[laurel]

I was just in Leavenworth this weekend and was surprised to find an excellent cheese shop there. They've got a website too: http://www.cheesemongersshop.com/. Some interesting cheese, local and German wine, and German and English beer.