Cheese and espresso in Los Feliz?

[JeremyEG]

Hey Everyone,
I am a very frequent poster on the NYC board and I've just moved to Los Feliz for a couple months. I have been reading all your wonderful recs in the area and I'm really excited to start eating! I have been having a bit of trouble finding a place to buy cheese though. I am willing to travel but I'd love a place with an actual cheese counter with employees that you feel are knowledgeable.

Also, is there a local coffee place with good espresso? I'm fine with Starbucks but I'd love to find something better and local if possible.
Thanks in advance for your help.
JeremyEG

[oro3030]

IMO, the best, most consistent espresso in LA is in the City College Cafe next to Scoops Ice Cream on Melrose and Heliotrope.
The owner is Italian and was the Lavazza rep for LA for a while. He really knows what he is doing. Also the espresso is only $1, so a great value too. Of course you are right next to Scoops so there is the danger of developing an ice cream addiction with the espresso that I may or may not have fallen into.

[mrshankly]

The BEST cheese store in Los Angeles is the Beverly Hills Cheese Store on Beverly. It is the Los Angeles version of Murray's Cheese Shop in NYC. In the Los Feliz area, the Sliverlake Cheese Store is my favorite with Say Cheese being a distant second to that place (nothing wrong with Say Cheese but their selection and pricing can't beat Silverlake). There is also a cheese/wine place in Montrose on Honolulu Ave called Goudas and Vines, but it may not be worth leaving the Silverlake area for with Silverlake Cheese Store right there.

[meganinlosfeliz]

As revets2 alluded to, in a week or so when it finally opens, you will be able to have a stellar espresso at Intelligentsia, a roaster out of Chicago that has wonderful coffee. It is located in Sunset Junction, just next to the Cheese Store of SL others referred to, which I frequent about once a week and love. It is a neighborhood treasure IMO.

[revets2]

i hear INTELLIGENTSIA opens 8/17. you can also get it across the street at PAZZO GELATO, but we only trust renée to pull our espresso there.

[revets2]

here's a one-stop-shop, in LF no less.

ALCOVE and VILLAGE GOURMET WINE & CHEESE are on hillhurst just north of franklin and south of finley on the west side of the street.

ALCOVE'S espresso is a step above *bucks. nice selection of wines and cheeses at VILLAGE GOURMET with a larger wine shop in the back. best of all, it's in one location. problems parking? they have valet in the back.

the cheese selection may not be as comprehensive as CHEESE STORE OF SILVER LAKE, but i do think it's more reasonably priced. when INTELLIGENSIA and LA MILL arrive to silver lake, it will be some of the best espresso in all the city.

welcome to la la land and buen provecho.

[maxzook]

That thumping you hear is me kicking myself for leaving Alcove and Village Gourmet off my list.

Here's place links (in the reply).

[maxzook]

Links here.

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Village Gourmet
1927 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Alcove Cafe & Bakery
1929 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

[revets2]

that's okay. when asked in person, i can't usually remember any of these places. what's up with that?

[maxzook]

As was already posted, Say Cheese and the Cheese Store may be the two best cheese stores in L.A. Say Cheese also pours a mean espresso, or else I have alway been partial to the Cafe Figaro and Psychobabble.

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Say Cheese
2800 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Cheese Store of Silver Lake
3926 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Figaro Cafe Restaurant
1802 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Brū Coffee Bar
1866 N Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

[silverlakebodhisattva]

Well, you've got Silverlake Cheese Store (Sunset at Santa Monica) Say Cheese (Hyperion next to T.J.'s, and the NEW STOPLIGHT!!!), and Cardone's Italian (Sunset) for fresh mozzarella and buratta. For (inexpensive) Armenian cheese exotica there's Superking, among others.

Espresso? Wander around; if any part of Los Angeles fills this bill, it's probably Silverlake/Los Feliz.

rfgs

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