Cheese Boutique

[Stalder]

I am wondering how cheese boutique stacks up against Pusateri's in terms of provisions (oils vinegar olives etc . . . .and also in terms of prepared food.

Any opinions

[Coco Bonobos]

Cheese Boutique is the really good european shop you wished you could bring home and pusateri is the expensive commercial one back home.

The vibe is better at Cheese Boutique but I find the oils, preserves are more abundant at Pusateri's.

[Jake]

I visit Cheese Boutique over Pusateri's any day. While some of the oils and preserves are indeed more abundant at Pusateri's, the provisions as a whole at Cheese Boutique are more varied, better quality for better price. The service at CB is always exemplary, and I think they have a better selection of cheese and meat. Not as much prepared food, but I admit I don't go to either for that.

[jenc]

Cheese Boutique over Pusateri's any day. Neither are bad, but I like the whole experience of CB over Pusateri's.

Edited October 20, 2006 by jenc (log)

[Librarian_chef]

Which Cheese Boutique are we comparing? The one on Mount Pleasant at Eglinton or the original?

Mark

[Coco Bonobos]

Hi,

I hope we are talking about the original CB off south kingway and the original pusateri at Lawrence/avenue.

All bets are off if we are discussing the other two.

jkl

[Stalder]

Hi,

I hope we are talking about the original CB off south kingway and the original pusateri at Lawrence/avenue.

All bets are off if we are discussing the other two.

jkl

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I was referring to the cheese boutique off south kingsway. I go to either pusateri's but much prefer the downtown one for prepared foods, and the bakery. The managers always bring anything i want from the main store down as long as I call ahead. I find the uptown Pusateri's full of rude people, and a very stressful place to shop.

From what I am reading cheese boutique is definitely worth a visit though they may not have as many prepared foods as Pusateri's.

[malcolmjolley]

Which Cheese Boutique are we comparing? The one on Mount Pleasant at Eglinton or the original?

Mark

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You're thinking of "The Cheese Emporium" at Mt. Pleasant and Bayview. It has nothing to do with The Cheese Boutique and the Pristine family who run the latter.

I am wholeheartedly biased towards the CB, but they are advertisers on my site and treat v. well, so I can't be objective. I will say I specifically sought them out as advertisers because I thought the quality of the fare was exceptional. I don't know where else you can get truffles regularly throughout the season.

Sasha Chapman had a great profile on the family and store in Toronto Life a few issues back. See: http://www.torontolife.com/features/big-cheese/

Check out there site, too: .

http://www.cheeseboutique.com/

If you go during the week between 11 and 3 or 4, there's a good chance you'll run into one of the city's top chefs.

[Librarian_chef]

Thanks for the correction, I have yet to make it out to the Cheese Boutique on the South Kingsway as it is far from my part of town, but I would love to do so to compare it with Pusateri's which I know well.

Mark

[Jake]

Mark, I highly suggest a trip to Cheese Boutique. I think I can safely promise you will be glad you did.

[Stalder]

Mark, I highly suggest a trip to Cheese Boutique.  I think I can safely promise you will be glad you did.

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Just one more small section . . .does cheese boutique have prepared foods at all? As much as I love to cook . . one of the treats of going to pusateri's is picking up some side dishes so I can just cook some great meat or fish but still have a feast.

I love some of the vegetable salads and pasta salads pusateri's does.

We are planning on driving to toronto tomorrow and are definitely going to visit cheese boutique. The question now, is should we go to pusateri's first for some salads etc., then head to CB, or will cheese boutique have everything we like at pusateris.

[Jake]

CB does have some prepared foods, but not many. However, they have a lovely eclectic produce section if you're going to cook yourself. May I recommend you try some of their Quebec raw milk cheeses if you haven't already? I also love their jalapeno, red currant and onion flatbread for snacking.

[Stalder]

CB does have some prepared foods, but not many.  However, they have a lovely eclectic produce section if you're going to cook yourself.  May I recommend you try some of their Quebec raw milk cheeses if you haven't already?  I also love their jalapeno, red currant and onion flatbread for snacking.

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Thanks for the info.

Work has been very busy lately and we have a few days off, so we are really looking forward to our little foodie vacation at home

[jenc]

did you go? what did you think?

I really enjoy the visit to CB - the selection is smaller for prepped foods and I think, veggies, but the veggies are top notch. They all look perfect. Prepped foods, I've never eaten from there.

I do like going with friends for impromptu picnics. We also bought some fresh white truffle a couple weeks back to eat with pasta.

I have a photo of the owner (?) serving us tea. I felt like such a tourist, but I do have fond memories of drinking tea and shopping for cheese, bread, and other tasty treats.

[Stalder]

did you go? what did you think?

We couldn't go to Cheese Boutique on the weekend since the Gardiner was closed so we went to Whole Foods in Oakville. I was super dissapointed in everything except an aged gruyere. Produce bad . . meats and seafoods nothing great. . . . dry goods and frozen goods . . old . . . prepared foods . . fresh . . but no flavor.

So today we made the trek to Cheese Boutique. WOW . . the place is a shrine to food!!. On a Monday afternoon there are only a few customers so we took our time and explored. Everything you could ever want was there!!!

The collection of dry goods is just amazing . . . I bet it will take us 10 visits to see everything. The produce was very nice with some nice exotics we don't always see in Woodstock, such as fresh chanterelles, and some Italian Pears.

Their collection of oils and balsamics is very extensive . . .I left with a whole pile of great stuff. The meats, cheeses and olive selection was amazing. We have been nibbling some since coming home and everything is first rate!!

Their prepared food section is nice and everything is prepared fresh. While not as extensive or creative as Pusateri's the food was all nice and fresh . . and what we ate on the way home was good. The breads looked great, and the house flatbread is very nice. The cakes in the bakery section looked a little tired, but this was the only weak spot in the whole store.

And such a nice vibe . . . not snobby at all . . . .more for middle class people who LOVE food, like us ))

Sigh . . . . This place was sooooo cool!!!!!!!!!!

Edited October 31, 2006 by Stalder (log)

[rgruby]

You know, living downtown and not having a car (it's in a transit deprived area), I didn't make it out to the Cheese Boutique for ages. First visit maybe a year and a half ago. I finally talked a friend with a car into checking it out. I literally had been bugging him for a couple of years to wander over for a visit, and we finally did. If either of us had known how good it is, we would have made the trek much, much sooner.

I think we spent at least two hours there that first visit. It was a weeknight, and the place wasn't that busy. We just needed that much time to take everything in.(It's also not even that big, in terms of physical footprint). But the selection, especially of imported, canned or bottled foodstuffs is staggering. Tons of stuff I'd never seen before. And the cheese room makes me think I'm on a different continent. And they boast a well trained and informed staff. Did I mention the cheese room? - If they buy a cheese they think will benefit from further aging, they do it themselves before they'll let you buy it.

So yeah, I've been back many times since. (Discovered the canned piquillo peppers from Spain the last visit. holy crap they're good! I know, it's a small can, and it's like $8, but trust me on this one.)

The question initially was CB vs. Pusateri's. They both have their strengths (and I'll admit I haven't been to the flagship Pusateri's in eons), but if I could only have one, it would be the Cheese Boutique. I'm glad we have both.

I'll also toss out the possibility that the Cheese Boutique may be the single best food store on the continent (although there are lots of things they don't do - fresh fish being the most obvious are that springs to mind, and as stated above, not a ton of prepared stuff). (Actually that might be a fun topic for a wider egullet discussion- I'll start polishing my flame retardant suit).

So, as you can probably guess, I am a big fan of the Cheese boutique. Just wish it was a little easier to access on transit. I'd spend even more money there.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[Jake]

Geoff, I have to agree with your assessment. My SO laughingly calls it the $90 store, because I never leave there under that (and we have a car and go at least once a month!) Thanks for the tip on the piquillo peppers, I've been looking for some - now tell me they're plain and I can stuff them!

I think I'd have to agree with you about the best store in Toronto. It doesn't have everything, but what it does do, it does better than any other market in Toronto IMO. And oohhhhh the cheese room, I salivate just thinking of it! Hmm, have to be out that way on Sunday for a birthday dinner, must make a stop!

[rgruby]

  Thanks for the tip on the piquillo peppers, I've been looking for some - now tell me they're plain and I can stuff them!

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They had plain ones and stuffed ones (with shrimp). I bought both but haven't tried the stuffed ones yet.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[orangewasabi]

< My SO laughingly calls it the $90 store, because I never leave there under that (and we have a car and go at least once a month!) >

hilarious! so does mine. Glad it doesn't just happen to me.

We're working our way through the jam selection -- terrific finds there, at good values.

[estufarian]

Nobody has yet mentioned their Truffle Honey. An astonishing product. Serve a teaspoon (or less) with cheese.

[Stalder]

Nobody has yet mentioned their Truffle Honey. An astonishing product. Serve a teaspoon (or less) with cheese.

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They make their own truffle honey????

I bought a small jar of truffle honey there, but it was not a CB brand.

[jenc]

Haven't tried truffle honey!

We did buy the pine honey though. A friend of mine has some from a German family friend which was fabulous.

[estufarian]

They make their own truffle honey????

I bought a small jar of truffle honey there, but it was not a CB brand.

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No - it wasn't their own brand. Sorry for the confusion.

But still a great product.

[Stalder]

No - it wasn't their own brand. Sorry for the confusion.

But still a great product.

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[Fugu]

Has anyone been to the Cheese Boutique recently? I was just wondering if some of the fresh produce and prepared foods always look pitiful? I visited CB mid week and that could explain some of the items I took notice of, the dried up cakes in the display case, the flies buzzing around the bread and pastries beside the case. Rotting portobellos, dried up chanterelles, water on the floor and lack lustre choice of meats.

Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing CB and think their selection of oils, condiments and vinegars are wonderfull but they could do better with keeping their place pristine. I did go home with some Israeli couscous, some finishing salts, some morels and some grains of paradise. Got curious with the expensive Argan oil and found some expensive duck fat.

I may visit again this Saturday and see if I just came on a bad day? I also want to take pictures of their cheese cellar. All those giant Pargeiano Reggiano and machego cheese being aged, that was way cool!

Edited November 2, 2007 by Fugu (log)