Poll: Where do you buy cheese? [Food/Vendor]
2014 Nov 18
International Cheese Inc in Byward Market
International Cheese
They buy large quantities of cheese from wholesalers that is near or at the 'best before date' and discount heavily to move it fast. The more you buy the deeper the discount.
My experience has been getting fully ripe (yumm yumm yumm) cheese at 60-80% off.
These deals happen to come in waves over time, but I've always found a buy or two on my visits. During or post Xmas have been good times for these discounts.
Also look for the individual pieces with discount stickers that are not in the 'deals section'.
AND .. they have lots of domestic and imported high end ($50-$100/kg) cheese. Usually not at a discount. These include cottage industry cheese (small farm production),raw milk,triple creams,etc.
International Cheese
They buy large quantities of cheese from wholesalers that is near or at the 'best before date' and discount heavily to move it fast. The more you buy the deeper the discount.
My experience has been getting fully ripe (yumm yumm yumm) cheese at 60-80% off.
These deals happen to come in waves over time, but I've always found a buy or two on my visits. During or post Xmas have been good times for these discounts.
Also look for the individual pieces with discount stickers that are not in the 'deals section'.
AND .. they have lots of domestic and imported high end ($50-$100/kg) cheese. Usually not at a discount. These include cottage industry cheese (small farm production),raw milk,triple creams,etc.
2014 Nov 18
The Bagel Shop and Nicastro's on Wellington (El Negozio) both have good selections of interesting cheese. La Trappe a Fromage in Gatineau is another good place. IGA on the Gatineau side are good for cheese as grocery stores go.
The Piggy Market doesn't have a huge selection but they carry a small number of very good cheeses. We discovered Bleu d'Élizabeth there and have bought it semi-regularly since.
Farmer's Pick on Prince of Wales good for Italian cheese, also Nicastro on Merivale.
I don't usually engage them in conversations, so I have less of an opinion on where to go for knowledgeable service, but El Negozio Nicastro, La Trappe and Piggy Market appear to be good for that.
The Piggy Market doesn't have a huge selection but they carry a small number of very good cheeses. We discovered Bleu d'Élizabeth there and have bought it semi-regularly since.
Farmer's Pick on Prince of Wales good for Italian cheese, also Nicastro on Merivale.
I don't usually engage them in conversations, so I have less of an opinion on where to go for knowledgeable service, but El Negozio Nicastro, La Trappe and Piggy Market appear to be good for that.
2014 Nov 18
I agree with everything Inkling said. La Bottega also has a large and very unique selection (many interesting imports).
Costco will carry a few but good quality, mostly French or Québécois cheeses such as St-Paulin, Caprices des Dieux, Laurier, Cambozola, Oka, Boursin, etc., at a very good price ($7-10 for a huge piece). Around holiday times, they will have special cheeses available such as Cendrillon and other really good Quebec specialized cheeses.
Costco will carry a few but good quality, mostly French or Québécois cheeses such as St-Paulin, Caprices des Dieux, Laurier, Cambozola, Oka, Boursin, etc., at a very good price ($7-10 for a huge piece). Around holiday times, they will have special cheeses available such as Cendrillon and other really good Quebec specialized cheeses.
2014 Nov 20
Thanks for the feedback, you have all provided obvious choices. I have even bought cheese from Costco myself.
What about a knowledgeable cheesemonger? Someone who know exactly when cheese is at its best, and knows when to toss something that's inedible? I have bought some garbage from some of the above establishments simply because they didn't know better.
What about a knowledgeable cheesemonger? Someone who know exactly when cheese is at its best, and knows when to toss something that's inedible? I have bought some garbage from some of the above establishments simply because they didn't know better.
2014 Nov 20
I used to go to House of Cheese in the market a lot. Not as much now. Depending who you get they can really tell you what cheeses are at their peak. I did go to Serious Cheese when it was on Bank Street as well. Not sure what they are like in Kanata but I did find them to be on the pricey side.
My main place to buy cheeses now are Farm Boy and Costco. I find Farm Boy has a very nice selection but you really need to know what you are looking for. While I still shop at Costco, I found their cheese selection is not nearly as good as it was 2-4 years ago.
My main place to buy cheeses now are Farm Boy and Costco. I find Farm Boy has a very nice selection but you really need to know what you are looking for. While I still shop at Costco, I found their cheese selection is not nearly as good as it was 2-4 years ago.
2014 Nov 23
I often pick up cheese when I am at Hintonburg Market. They have a small selection, but are knowledgeable and happy to talk to you and explain the different cheeses. I also go to Nicastro on Wellington and the Bagel Shop. Actually, now that I think about it, I pick up cheese just about everywhere I shop. :)
2014 Dec 4
I make most of my own cheese, or buy it from other farmers I know, but when I need something different, I head to Mrs. McGarrigle's in Merrickville as it's close by, and for a small store, they have decent selection of domestic and import cheeses.
I've never bothered to ask them about when a certain cheese is ready for consumption as that is generally something I already know myself.
My complaint about most cheese places, (Mrs. McGarrigle's included) was the lack of cheese paper (which either looks like clear cellophane or sometimes looks sort of like parchment) to wrap your purchase in, and finding only cheese wrapped in saran wrap type plastic. Icky. :-(
However, today when shopping there for dear husbands birthday, I was very pleased to discover that they now have cheese paper to wrap cheese in at McGarrigle's! Yay! Cheese needs to breathe, not be suffocated!
I've never bothered to ask them about when a certain cheese is ready for consumption as that is generally something I already know myself.
My complaint about most cheese places, (Mrs. McGarrigle's included) was the lack of cheese paper (which either looks like clear cellophane or sometimes looks sort of like parchment) to wrap your purchase in, and finding only cheese wrapped in saran wrap type plastic. Icky. :-(
However, today when shopping there for dear husbands birthday, I was very pleased to discover that they now have cheese paper to wrap cheese in at McGarrigle's! Yay! Cheese needs to breathe, not be suffocated!
2014 Dec 5
These guys are known to have cheeses you can't get elsewhere. Or they were 10 years ago anyway ...
Luciano Foods
Luciano Foods
2014 Dec 7
Captain Caper International House of Cheese is in the Byward Market and I just realized the correct name of the cheese store is "International Cheese". It's along the same as Saslove's, Lapointe's, etc. facing the Byward Market Square. There are actually two cheese shops the other being "House of Cheese" hence the mix-up with the name... The one I refer to has a large selection of Quebec cheeses near the back of the store, the biggest selection of olives I have ever seen, and lots of Middle Eastern delicacies there like tabouleh, stuffed grape leaves, baba ghanouj, etc. And marked down cheeses...
2014 Dec 8
Thanks for the clarification, Pasta lover.
I kinda thought you may have been referring to this one ...
ottawafoodies.com , but I wasn't sure.
I kinda thought you may have been referring to this one ...
ottawafoodies.com , but I wasn't sure.
2016 Jun 20
They ruthlessly exploit Venezuelan beavers to make that stuff. Have you seen the pictures of those Venezuelan beaver factory-farms? The industrial milking array is like some kind of medieval torture device. Only beaver sized.
Bolivian otter cheese is way more eco-friendly. More sustainable too because of the way they milk the otters only during Bolivian otter mating season using a technique that was first perfected by Bolivian aboriginal tribes millennia ago.
Bolivian otter cheese is way more eco-friendly. More sustainable too because of the way they milk the otters only during Bolivian otter mating season using a technique that was first perfected by Bolivian aboriginal tribes millennia ago.
2016 Jun 30
The Bay sells cheese paper online- I kind of wondered why I need such an item as I eat the cheese I buy right when I get it or the next day.
But maybe I will buy the cheese paper now....
Cedar's grocery on Bank st has a very good selection of imported and local cheese.
Same for meats, a lot of local,organic stuff.
Nicastros on Bank st is also good, they will let you try any cheese before you buy it.
Farm Boy is good too.
I will also add Whole Foods- they have a lot of imported cheese and they make up cheese plates that for around $10 you get 3 cheeses and some dried fruit or nuts.
-they are not huge pieces of cheese, but enough for 1 or 2 people.
Serious Cheese is good, but since they moved to Kanata from Bank st, they lost all my business.
I like their store, but when you do not have a car and do not know anyone who drives out that way it is impossible to shop there.
Polka Deli on Walkley has some decent deals- all their cheese is $1.99 per 100 grams (or maybe it was $2.29 I forget).
They have large rectangular blocks of cheese and they slice it to order.
I recall seeing Swiss cheese/ ementhal, gouda, edam, pepperjack and some polish cheese I do not know about.
But maybe I will buy the cheese paper now....
Cedar's grocery on Bank st has a very good selection of imported and local cheese.
Same for meats, a lot of local,organic stuff.
Nicastros on Bank st is also good, they will let you try any cheese before you buy it.
Farm Boy is good too.
I will also add Whole Foods- they have a lot of imported cheese and they make up cheese plates that for around $10 you get 3 cheeses and some dried fruit or nuts.
-they are not huge pieces of cheese, but enough for 1 or 2 people.
Serious Cheese is good, but since they moved to Kanata from Bank st, they lost all my business.
I like their store, but when you do not have a car and do not know anyone who drives out that way it is impossible to shop there.
Polka Deli on Walkley has some decent deals- all their cheese is $1.99 per 100 grams (or maybe it was $2.29 I forget).
They have large rectangular blocks of cheese and they slice it to order.
I recall seeing Swiss cheese/ ementhal, gouda, edam, pepperjack and some polish cheese I do not know about.
2016 Jul 2
The Polish chocolate is really really good.
Polka deli sells some by the weight and there is 20 different kinds.
The cherries in chocolate with liquor are so good.
The only kind I did not like too much was the marzipan in chocolate, the German kind is better.
The Polish one was fine actually, just not as good to me.
The chocolate covered cherries with liquor I was surprised that the syrup "burned" my mouth and throat- not in a bad way, but when you have strong alcohol.
I would like to know what the alcohol % in those are, also I can not buy too many at once as I would be tempted to eat them all in one day.
The picture of the cheese block above, that is exactly what polka deli sells.
Polka deli sells some by the weight and there is 20 different kinds.
The cherries in chocolate with liquor are so good.
The only kind I did not like too much was the marzipan in chocolate, the German kind is better.
The Polish one was fine actually, just not as good to me.
The chocolate covered cherries with liquor I was surprised that the syrup "burned" my mouth and throat- not in a bad way, but when you have strong alcohol.
I would like to know what the alcohol % in those are, also I can not buy too many at once as I would be tempted to eat them all in one day.
The picture of the cheese block above, that is exactly what polka deli sells.
Check the ice
I am interested to know the level of knowledge of the cheesemonger you frequent: Do they know when cheese is ready for consumption?
Thanks in advance.