Where is the best place to buy cheese in Mississauga?

[donelikedinner]

Help me! I am looking for a good cheese shop in Mississauga or west Toronto or even Oakville. I am familiar with the Cheese Boutique and it certainly has many fine items for sale, but was hoping for something a little closer to home?

Any recommendations gratefully accepted.

[duckdown]

I've been to Goat Inc. last summer and the guy there was super helpful, but the variety was very very small. According to him business has been slow so he only has a wide variety on Friday and Saturdays now, so theres not stock sitting around during the weekdays.

I'd be interested to know what the selection has been like this year, or if things are any different now.

[aimee9]

The best place to buy cheese in West Toronto is definitely The Cheese Boutique 45 Ripley Avenue. Check out their website for more info on how to get there. A former Bloor Street legend, this family-owned gem is known by many foodies for their friendly service, weekend samples, and serious knowledge about cheese. Their homemade truffle oil is to die for as well. I have not gone anywhere else since finding them!

[stephen]

I got ripped off at the Cheese Boutique after asking for some aged Cantal. It was very young, maybe not even Cantal at all. Not going to go back probably...

[chrisfernando100]

personally, if i'm after some good cheese, i take a drive downtown and go to global cheese in kensington...all the selection of cheese boutique w/out the attitude and prices.

ps..they'll let you sample the equivalent of a light lunch while you're deciding

[redearth]

A good selection, yes. All the selection of the Cheese Boutique? Not even close. Some of the things at the CB are worth what they cost, at least in my mind, because, for one, you simply can't get them anywhere else.

[duckdown]

What do you reccomend for must-tries from CB? like the unique stuff you mentioned.. I go there a couple times per season

thanks

[Kagemusha]

Jeesh, unless they've upgraded everything, including the obnoxious staff, Global struck me as a malodorous pit that delivered remarkably poor value--free lunches nothwithstanding. CB also loses big time on value, whatever claims they make about exclusivity and expertise--both being inedible in my experience.

[chrisfernando100]

i'll admit that cb does have some good meats (cured and fresh) that you can't get a global but for the most part global will have whatever you need, the only thing that i couldn't find lately was mimolette but they'll porbably have it next time....

i've never had bad service there either.

[Kagemusha]

Global's not in Mississauga. Besides, I've had it with their habit of selling decidedly "off" merch and/or bait-n-switch, so much so that I'll never visit the place again. Hope you enjoy the free samples!

[Gumbril]

This thread is a bit old but...

Global has a branch in Etobicoke, on Norseman (between Kipling and Islington, near Dimpflmeier). It's a clean, cheerful store with nice people and none of the Kensington Market buying-cheese-from-a-stinking-garage feeling. Its selection isn't as extensive as Cheese Boutique's, but it's not at all bad.

If you're from Mississauga and you're willing to go to a non-downtown midpoint, definitely also check out International Food Depot (or similar name) on Jutland, it's next to European Meats (near Kipling). Cheapest (decent) cheese I've seen: $5 or $6 for nearly a pound of harvarti, for example. The selection is less "fancy," but there's a good variety to be found at fairly low prices.

-----
Cheese Boutique
45 Ripley Ave, Toronto, ON M6S, CA

[morty999]

If you are willing to go to Oakville Whole Foods has a good selection of cheese, again not cheap. Also in Etobicoke is Pasquale Bros Foods and they have a great selection of cheese and other gourmet products.

[redearth]

While I like Pasquale Bros., and every product I've tried from there has been excellent, it must be said that, while the cheeses they carry are certainly high quality, they have a very limited selection. They seem to focus on Ontario and Quebec goat's milk cheeses, and high quality Italian cheeses. It wouldn't be my first stop, unless I knew they had the exact product I was looking for.

[youdonut]

how about starskys the seem to have a decent cheese counter, havent seen anything thats like the cheese shops in kensington market though..

[Whats_For_Dinner]

Second Starsky's. They have a ton of stuff (and samples, too!)
Don't go if you only have a few minutes, though. It's one of those stores that you could literally spend HOURS in just browsing the shelves and counters. So, so much fun.

[redearth]

I was very impressed by Starsky's after a recent visit there. Their deli meat selection has to be one of the best in the city, and, while they certainly don't have the widest selection of cheeses in the city, it is nonetheless quite excellent - I was very pleased to find that they had several different types of Raclette, which is exactly what I was looking for. I tried both the Swiss and the French, and both were excellent! For Eastern European and European cheeses of the pasteurized-milk variety, it's a place worth checking out, for sure. Just don't expect to find any unusual raw milk cheeses there.

[MiniMom]

I bet Goat Inc would if you wanted to bring it in.. he is so helpful. He was my main cheese man for ages, but had to cut back on the cheese as i was starting to look like a wheel.
Try emailing this place. they seem to carry it but not sure if wholesale or retail.
http://www.finica.on.ca/cheese.htm

[donelikedinner]

Thanks guys. I will check out the Cheese Outlet and the Etobicoke Costco. And, I will ask the proprietor of Goat as well.

Did not consider Longos or Highland Farms and will give them a look.

Finica is the wholesale distributor (I checked, believe me!).

[Kagemusha]

Depends on what you're after. For garden variety stuff--and especially Reggiano--Costco is hard to beat. What types interest you?

[donelikedinner]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have been to Goat, but did not find what I am looking for. I am particularly interested in aged Gouda right now (Beemster XO if possible) which is not easy to locate. I have looked around and found very few options!
Definitely Costco is great for some items (like the Parm) but not for the type only found in cheese shops.

[ciaociao1]

There is a place I like that has some unique and different cheese (along with some standards) for a good price in west Etobicoke. It's located near Hwy 427 & Sherway Gardens
The Cheese Outlet- 100 East Mall -- fyi not open on Sundays

[Kagemusha]

You might check Costco again. Longo's and Highland Farms are also worth a look. Costco has expanded their offerings which do vary among the warehouses(Etobicoke may have the biggest range). I'm just not willing to pay extortionate cheese shop prices for the same items.

[redearth]

I wouldn't say that all the cheeses available at Costco are "garden variety", as you put it... They often have such cheeses as cave-aged Comté and real Italian buffalo mozzarella, always at better prices than anywhere else. Unless I'm looking for an unusual or specific cheese, my first stop is always Costco. Their selection is pretty damn great, and, as I said, their prices can't be beat.

[Whats_For_Dinner]

There's a cute little local one, Goat Inc., at Lakeshore & Clarkson Rd. Cheap, no; but friendly and knowledgeable, very.