Near my home in Maplewood we have some great choices at the Edan Gourmet in South Orange and the new Whole Foods in Union.
Anyone have suggestions for NJ Cheese shops that would beat these in variety and/or price? I am interested in the northern half of the state.
By Pazzo_Cane
on Feb 20, 2009 03:42 PM
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some good suggestions here...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/421242
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Gary's Wine Marketplace in Madison or Bernardsville has some nice cheeses. I'm not sure that they have better variety/prices than what you have already mentioned.
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Just watch your credit card and check your statement if you go there.
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You seem to be implying something. Please explain your statement?
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In addition to its best-in-state wine inventory, service, and good prices, the Wine Library in Springfield also has an extensive selection of cheeses and informed friendly staff.
Wine Library
586 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081
Ph: 888-980-WINE (9463)
http://winelibrary.com/
See this thread for cheese in central NJ
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/529970
See this thread for cheese in Ocean County, NJ
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/528601
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I love the Wine Library. Along with having the best prices for wine in the area, their cheese shop is fantastic. I could spend all day grazing on all the free samples. The staff has never steered me wrong when it comes to wine.
I find that Eden Gourmet's prices on cheese are better than the Wine Library, and they have a good cheesemonger that will recommend the right cheese. They give samples, but you have to ask for them.
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Try Bobolink Dairy- they make their own artisan cheeses and have free cheese tastings.
It's more of a day trip but quite enjoyable.
They are located in Vernon Nj in Sussex County. It's only 8 miles from Warwick, NY where there are a few wineries. Another place to check is Heaven Hill farm market.
The dairy has a website: www.cowsoutside.com
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Boblink's quality is uneven. I suspect that the best of their product goes to the restaurants, we get what is left.
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not sure, but I think Bobolink moved. Though I am not sure where.
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From the website:
WARNING!
Google Maps frequently forgets that we moved to Milford, NJ in June 2010
If you are trying to find us on Google, it would be wide to enter our street address:
369 Stamets Rd, 08848
(our former location in Vernon is now closed)
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I agree. I love Bobolink. Yes, their offerings are often widely variable, but that depends on the output of their grass fed cows. They also are a staple at Farmer's markets in NYC, in Warwick and a couple of other locations which escape me.
Also, Maywood Marketplace has an extensive selection of cheese at fairly reasonable prices.
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For local producers, Valley Shepherd in long valley has Bobolink beat hands down....the cheesemaker is really top notch with about 12-15 cheeses on offer, mostly sheep but some cow and some mixed. He's at union square in manhattan & i believe at the piermont farmers market as well.
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Bobolink doesn't have goat cheese and I'm anxious to try Valley's. For my palate, there's room for them all!!!
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I second Valley Shepard. Whole Foods and Trader Joes' has a great selection of cheeses
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Trader Joe's
725 River Road, Edgewater, NJ
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Summit Cheese Shop
75 Union Place in Summit.
(908) 273-7700
If you're looking specifically for Italian cheeses, DIPietro's on Springfield Avenue has a nice selection, including some incredible handmade mozzarella.
or why not try Crane's in Maplewood Village? They have a pretty nice cheese selection, at good prices.
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Jerry's in Englewood has a great cheese selection. However, can't wait to see what the new Fairway in Paramus will offer.
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I've read some good things about the owner of a new shop in Montclair (near the Watchung Train Station--near Bluestone Coffee/Cafe)...it's due to open "in late March" but I haven't heard if it's up and running yet.
Tallmadge Cheese Market
38 Upper Montclair Plaza
Upper Montclair
973-632-8068
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It's open but it's right near the Upper Montclair train station, not Watchung! It's in the parking area behind the the Bellview movie theater and it's terrific!! Lots of great choices -- not cheap but worth the price!
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In Central New Jersey - Bon Appetit Princeton NJ Has a nice selection of cheese.
http://www.yourbonappetit.com/
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Bon Appetit is my favourite store for indulging, and their baguettes are fantastic. If they don't have a cheese (meat, pastry, whatever), the owner will make an effort to get it for you.
Just don't make the mistake I did and have a bite of talleggio before taking a sip of champagne.
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Jerry's Gourmet
410 S Dean St, Englewood, NJ 07631
Fairway Market
34 E Ridgewood Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652
Valley Shepherd Creamery
50 Fairmount Rd, Long Valley, NJ
Wine Library
586 Morris Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081
Westside Market
78 W Pleasant Ave, Maywood, NJ 07607
Bon Appetit
301 N Harrison St, Princeton, NJ
Tallmadge Cheese Market
38 Upper Montclair Plz, Montclair, NJ
Crane's Delicatessen & Cheese
175 Maplewood Ave, Maplewood, NJ 07040
Summit Cheese Shop
75 Union Pl, Summit, NJ
Di Pietro Foods
1701 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ
Gray's Wine & Liquor Store
2559 Nottingham Way, Mercerville, NJ
Heaven Hill Farm
451 State Rt 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
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the new Fairway in Paramus has a great cheese dept. Very reasonable prices too
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The two biggest selections in North Jersey are Maywood Marketplace and Fairway/Paramus. Maywood's are all prepackaged, whereas Fairway is more of a cheesemonger with a "point and taste" feature. Excellent prices at both as well.
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Please excuse my Cheese ignorance..... although I know about and have tasted most of the more common types of cheeses, like Brie, Mozzarella, Fantana, Cheddar, Colby, Goat, etc..
I'd really like to indulge into some more interesting ones. What do you cheese gurus recommend for a place where I could maybe have a sort of "cheese tasting" or sample a few more types to broaden my cheese horizons?.. I'm in Northern Ocean County... Thank you
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take a trip up to Sickle's and ask for Meghan, tell her I sent you. She won't steer you wrong!
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chefMD......PERFECT!!! thank you so much...I can't believe I've never been to Sickles :(
It's now on my to go list!
Happy Holiday!
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Cheese on Main in Ocean Grove is a great local treasure, as well.
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MGZ thanx I'll look into that also !
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You can go to Manahawkin to the Market Place Cheese Shop on Bay Avenue - really great selection and the owner will help you make your choice.
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The Cheese Cave in Redbank is an outstanding little shop with some great products. The owners are very friendly and will help you taste your way through the showcase.
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I confirm the Cheese Cave is very good. The owner is friendly and you will discern that many of the employees are his kids, who are doing a great job to help their family and they understand customer service and have learned great lessons about business,
My wife ran the register at her father's deli when she was a little kid. I think the statute of limitations on child labor law has run, but my wife is great at math and she understands what it means to work hard.
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Just to clarify, the kids who are working at Cheese Cave are old enough to work.
My wife was considerably younger than them.
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Chez Cheeze
10 Washington Av
Tenafly, NJ
Chez Cheeze has a great selection of cheeses and prepared foods.
And if you can't go in person they will ship during the fall and winter months.
Check out their web site to order on line.
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Chez Cheeze
10 Washington Ave, Tenafly, NJ
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The Ridgewood Cheese Shop, which is now The Cheese Shop in Super Cellars (Ridgewood), is worth a look.
Re: Fairway, I find that the prepackaged stuff at Fairway is often on its way out, if not way out, and I've had to chuck too much of it to even consider it. Of course you can walk up to the cheese counter, but they routinely direct people to the wrapped stuff, at which point I routinely tell them that their wrapped stuff smells like ammonia and I want something fresh off the wheel. I'm not convinced they take as much pride in their stuff as they should, or as much as the Cheese Shop in Super Cellars does. So they are losing my business slowly but surely.
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Maywood Marketplace still has a terrific selection of cheese. It's all prepackaged, but if you hit it at the right time they have dozens of samples out. Good pricing as well.
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The original Ridgewood Cheese Shop was a wonderful place. I remember shopping there with my mom. The owners and all employees were friendly and as we'd wait sometimes for up to an hour for our turn, the atmosphere in the shop was friendly and welcoming. Cheese samples were passed to customers, the counter help made recommendations and pairings. It was truly an experience. The wonderful experience ended when it was sold. The new owner is mean and nasty and no wonder why he lost his lease and downsized into the liquor store. Shopping for cheese should be a delightful culinary experience, otherwise, just pick it up at the A&P!! For a culinary cheese experience try Laraia's in New Windsor, NY just over the NJ border a few minutes from Montvale, NJ. Worth the ride from Bergen County for a real cheese shop experience and homemade mozzarella and ricotta. The friendly owner even does house parties!! http://www.laraiascheese.com/about.html
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Haven't thought about the Cheese Shop in Ridgewood in years. My husband and I met
working in Ridgewod and were such enthusiastic fans of the shop that the owner (I
believe his name was Bernhardt?) asked us if we were interested in a franchise!
Now most of my cheese comes from Whole Foods or Wegmans, but it's just now
the same as the small shops that sample and share info so freely.
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The owner has always been nice to me.
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Cheese...Please recently (in the past year) opened in Cranford, and I find their selection is pretty good and they also have some nice tasting events.
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Is Cheese...Please the place where you can BYO wine and sit down and have bread/cheese with it in the store?
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Affinage in Fairfield in the same strip mall as Calandra's bakery [on 46 East, about 1 mile west of willobrook mall] has a lovely, ever-changing selection of cheeses and knowledgeable staff. a little pricey, IMO, but nice cheeses.
Gary's wine marketplace on Rt 23 North in Wayne also has a nice selection, but I stopped going there because I've had terrible service in that cheese department [excellent service in the rest of the store, however]
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Olsson's in Palmer Square, Princeton, moved from the Trenton Farmer's Market last year:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Olsson...
Olsson's & Bon Appetit seem to satisfy my craving for Murray's in Manhattan
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I second cheese please in cranford, it is relatively new but she has a good selection of cheeses - I am a big blue cheese fan and she has a nice selection of european blues that makes my household happy!
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