145449 Thu Jul 31 15:26:25 -0700 2003 9 12 Boston Area 0 779633 I am sending a friend a wedding gift (her Michael Aram cheese board and knife). To make it a little more personal, I bought her a great book on cheeses and now I would like to add a gift certificate toa gourmet/cheese shop in Boston- near Newberry??? What is teh best? Thu Jul 31 15:26:25 -0700 2003 0 Audra 1 779635 Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge is likely the best. It's sister store. South End Formaggio is located at 268 Shawmut Ave, which isn't far from Back Bay/Newbury. Thu Jul 31 15:31:37 -0700 2003 779633 0 Dax 2 779646 They have a web page also. I'm pretty sure you can order things online. Link: http://www.formaggiokitchen.com Thu Jul 31 18:29:58 -0700 2003 779635 0 horrible 2 779648 Arguably the best cheese shop in the country... Thu Jul 31 20:35:38 -0700 2003 779635 0 StriperGuy 3 779654 Withold the title of "best cheese shop in the country" until you've been to the Cheeseboard in Berkeley. Not only do they have a wonderful and diverse selection of cheese, it's also an amazing bakery (which really is a beautiful combination to have in one store). Thu Jul 31 23:22:48 -0700 2003 779648 0 Queen of Hearts 4 779685 The Cheeseboard in Berkeley cannot hold a candle to Formaggio's. Cheeseboard has great breads, great prices, and a great attitude, but they do not know the first thing about affinage. They do not handle cheeses particularly well, and do not have a particularly strong selection of rarer cheeses. Formaggio's properly stores and ages cheese, which very few retailers in the US know how to do. And the poster who said to make the trek to Cambridge was correct. Generally a better selection, and cheeses in better condition with more knowledgable staff. Fri Aug 01 18:45:40 -0700 2003 779654 0 Ed Baum 5 779691 Just to show what a fanatic Isfan Gurdal (sp?) the proprietor of Formaggio is, he built a cheese cave in the basement of the shop! Fri Aug 01 22:10:41 -0700 2003 779685 0 StriperGuy 6 779708 ihsan travels constantly, meeting with the cheesemakers themselves and their herds. he has also sent some of his own employees to his alma mater, neals yard dairy, to learn more about cheese(s). Sun Aug 03 01:36:36 -0700 2003 779691 0 dchow 4 779692 I don't know of another cheese shop that even comes close to Formaggio in terms of loving care for the cheeses, and rare cheeses that are just plain unavailable anywhere else in the U.S. Formaggio Kitchen is truly unique and special. Fri Aug 01 22:15:13 -0700 2003 779654 0 StriperGuy 2 779651 The sister store doesn't have the same selection, unfortunately... definitely worth the trek to Cambridge. Thu Jul 31 22:00:24 -0700 2003 779635 0 Alex S