There’s nothing like cheese! Whether your taste buds prefer smoked gouda, blue cheese or creamy brie, our partners at 7×7 have dug up the best spots to get your cheese fix in San Francisco.
Mmmmm, cheese. What more is there to say? We talked to passionate cheesemongers around the city to see what cheeses they’re most excited about eating now.
Cheese Plus, 2001 Polk Street at Pacific Ave., 415-921-2001
What they sell: cheeses, charcuterie, wine, imported Italian condiments, chocolate, seasonings, bread, sandwiches.
Favorite affordable cheese: Point Reyes’ Toma ($19/lb). “It’s grassy, milky, and dense,” says cheesemonger Samantha Chertoff. “It’s great to cook with, put on a cheeseboard, or eat in the morning.”
Favorite new cheese in stock: Cabra Blanca ($38/lb). It’s a pasteurized, natural-rind goat cheese from a very small Colorado farm, making it hard to get outside of the state. “It’s a bright cheese with lemon tones, perfect for warm days. Pair it with cornichons (French pickles), champagne, or a nice pilsner.”
Most recommended “out there” cheese: Provolone Mandarone ($50/lb), aged by Guffanti Cheese Company in Lombardy, Italy. “It’s like parmesan gone crazy,” says Chertoff. It’s aged at least two years, giving it a super distinct flavor perfect for those who want a powerful cheese. “It tastes like pepper and pineapple–you’d typically dip pieces of it in olive oil to soften the blow of the flavor, or shave it on arugula salads.”
Cheese Boutique, 666 Chenery St., 415-333-3390 (alternate location at 1298 12th Avenue)
What they sell: sandwiches, Mediterranean and cheese platters, charcuterie, hard-to-find olive oil (their 12th Street locale sells wine).
Favorite affordable cheese: “We have good French brie ($10.99/lb) and great prices on Manchego ($14.99/lb),” says owner Nada Malouf. “My favorite is the aged Old Amsterdam gouda ($15.99/lb).”
Favorite new cheese in stock: They just started carrying Chaubier from France, a half cow, half goat’s milk cheese that’s semi-soft and medium-sharp. “It’s perfect with red wine before dinner,” says Malouf.
Most recommended “out there” cheese: Leyden, a Dutch cow’s milk cheese with cumin seeds in it. Malouf suggests eating it before dinner with a full-bodied Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s also a hearty cheese for cold weather.
Is your mouth watering yet? Be sure to check out the full article to discover the best places to score some cheese in San Francisco!
Written by Laura Mason
This is our weekly guest post from our friends at 7×7, a site that keeps you up on the best of SF. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a fantastic Date Night idea each week. Be sure to check out their blog for hourly doses of the best of SF.
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