257541 Tue Oct 29 21:47:09 -0800 2002 5 21 The Best 0 1363169 Was looking for some reasonably priced speciality cheese and a friend steered me to East Village Cheese on 3rd Avenue btwn 9-10th. I Got: English Stilton for 2.99 lb, Ditto Gouda with Mustard Seeds and English Tophat Cheddar 1.3 lb wheel of brie (President I think) for $1.50 17 oz tub of Marscapone for $2.99 !! I was impressed, and then I went back today for something else I realized I needed and there were lots of different specials in the front cabinets for $1-2 (and some even less - like sliced horseradish cheese 8 oz for 79 cents) They must be an "odd lot" of cheese. Are there any other places like this one out there that I have been missing? I was very pysched at this "find" even stuff like gruyere and ementhal were very reasonably priced. Only negative is no tastes and cash only. Just looked at the card - they are open 7 days a week. Tue Oct 29 21:47:09 -0800 2002 0 Tigerwoman 1 1363171 i KNOW! this place is crazy cheap. or is it just me...i've never spent much time in cheese shops and buy mostly at the grocery for convenience...are they all this cheap? went last week before i threw a wine-and-cheese party and got: 1/2 lb smoked gouda 1/2 lb creamy gouda with walnuts generous brie wedge goat cheese log for $7.77. i shamelessly told all my guests this price because i was still reeling from shock, having expected to spend twice as much. in fact, one of our guests brought with him a 1/2 lb of smoked gouda which came from a grocery store, which was labeled at $3.99. i laughed and laughed. everyone thought the cheese was really delicious, too. Wed Oct 30 00:06:41 -0800 2002 1363169 0 Nancy 2 1363197 I've been going to East Village cheese for a while. Sometimes, you have to be careful with all the discounted stuff in the refrigerated cases. I've noticed that most of it is beyond the expiry date. I have bought expired French salted butter and brie many times though, without problems much of the time. Also, the Balthazar baguettes they sell always seem limp. All the stuff in the back (crackers, sardines, preserves, etc.) are very reasonably priced. Thu Nov 07 20:14:22 -0800 2002 1363171 0 threetiered 3 1363198 yeah, we noticed good pricing on everything. thanks for the tip on expiration possibilities, though! i feel somewhat intimidated in setups like that, when they just start ringing things up while a line forms behind you, never occured to me to ask to just see the packaging first on those refridgerated items before buying. Thu Nov 07 23:49:44 -0800 2002 1363197 0 Nancy 1 1363204 This is a great place for bargains, because the distributors in the area call them when they have short-dated products that they must unload. The distributors sell to them below their cost, and recoup some of their investment rather than throwing it all out. On many products, the expiration date is not always relevant -- mascarpone, the harder cheeses -- these usually last for a few weeks beyond. Beware the softer cheeses however, especially brie. Since tasting is not allowed, at least try to get a sniff. Any hint of ammonia means the cheese is gone. Any taste of bitterness, ditto, which is why you should avoid buying Tallegio from them. Also, if the softer cheeses are turning beige or darker when they should be white, these are probably bad. Sat Nov 09 08:31:27 -0800 2002 1363169 0 Anon 2 1363209 Your post confirmed my "suspicions'. It's true of course about checking it out visually. And this is cheese ala minute not to keep for a later date so to speak. I had bought some gouda with mustard seed and had to cut off the rind but the cheese was still fine. The cheddar was a bit crumbly in places when we went to cut it up. Yet the wheels of President brie for $2 (1.3#)where fine and actually a bit firm for my taste. Stuff like marsacapone and sour cream usually last a long time after the x date. In the meantime I have made some great cheese platters from this source. Sat Nov 09 23:59:21 -0800 2002 1363204 0 tigerwoman