Raleigh area - cheese shop?

[dinersaurus]

I'm looking for a good cheese shop in the Raleigh area. I'll drive to Chapel Hill or Durham for something good. I've been dependent on Whole Foods, but there's a number of things - especially some Spanish cheeses - that we haven't been able to find there.

Are there any places that have an extensive cheese selection and know how to properly take care of their cheese? Thanks.

[dinersaurus]

I finally made it over to Southern Season this weekend and was impressed. They have a great selection including the hard to find Spanish cheeses that I was hunting. I just wish they had an outpost in Raleigh.

[Suzy Q]

Sometimes I wish that too...but then I think about the fact that I'd be broke, drunk, and most likely weigh 400 pounds if they were closer!

[AreBe]

Try the Kroger on US64 in the south Cary / Apex area. The cheese counter is not huge and probably does not have the extensive selection you want, but the woman who runs the counter is very knowledgeable, attentive, and will shove samples at you. This store also has a better-than-most wine shop with a walk-in cellar.

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Kroger
940 US Highway 64 W, Apex, NC

[Suzy Q]

Have you tried Southern Season in Chapel Hill? Not sure exactly what you're seeking, but they have a pretty awesome selection of cheeses.

I would also second the recommendation for Capri Flavors.

[dinersaurus]

Not yet, but Southern Season just moved to the top of my to-do list.

[Tom from Raleigh]

A Southern Season is the best place to buy a wide variety of real cheese in the Triangle. Plan to be there a while. There are so many items to look at and buy.

Capri Flavors looks interesting, but they only sell Italian cheese and the OP was looking for Spanish cheese.

[brokegradstudent]

This is going to make me sound like a moron but but sure to look up while at the cheese section at Southern Season. I'm pretty sure they were in the new location for 6 months before I realized they had dozens of uncut varieties in the glass case above the vast pre-cut selection. I was distracted by the stuff below and missed the stuff above.

[durhamois]

I'll be so very happy when an actual cheese shop opens in Durham or Chapel Hill, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no such thing here yet. The newly renovated cheese section at the Whole Foods in Chapel Hill has an improved cheese case that allows them to display ripening cheeses without wrapping them in plastic. They had some cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery that I had not noticed at other Whole Foods locations, as well as some other artisan cheeses that I don't think are widely available.

[markabauman]

When visiting family in Cary, I've found some decent Italian cheeses at Capri Flavors in Morrisville.

www.capriflavors.com

[fussycouple]

Jeepers.

The cheese department at A Southern Season is better than most big city specialty cheese shops I've been to, try there.

The cheese guy there is just remarkable.

[durhamois]

Sadly, the new cheese case that I had been so impressed with at Whole Foods CH is really just like any old refrigerated case; it is not like the humidity controlled cases you often see at the fromageries in France. But they still have a pretty reasonable selection.