According to the web site they are open from 12-5p on Sundays.

not sure that I'd ever accept websites as gospel truth, but now I HAVE to ride by there. A good excuse to get some cheese if they're open.

Dairy Godmother was closed in January but they are open for business again (believe me, I know ), every day except Tuesdays. And Cheesetique is definitely open on Sundays.

DanielK - I (+1) am going to chocolate and cheese tasting on Thursday - let us know how it is. Sounds like it's going to be decadent and fun!

It was good, but was not my favorite tasting there. I personally found several of the cheeses overly sweet. But I ascribe this to personal taste, and not Jill's fault, as I should have expected sweeter cheeses to match the chocolate, and I just generally don't like sweet cheeses! The audience reaction seemed very positive, and my wife enjoyed the cheeses I did not (including my portion of the cheeses that I didn't care for...)

The chocolates were fabulous, there was a take-home goodie bag with more chocolate, and I did find several cheeses in the tasting that were worth buying a wedge to take home. And, of course, filled a shopping bag with other goodies from her store. In some ways I'm glad it's a 40-minute drive to get there, or I'd be a lot poorer and fatter.

Hi, all. Just so everyone's clear on the hours at Cheesetique, I'll list them here. It can be a little confusing because we have both summer and winter hours. Regardless of the season, we're always open on Sundays.

WINTER HOURS (December - May - OPEN 6 DAYS)
TUES - SAT 11AM - 7PM
SUN 12PM - 5PM

SUMMER HOURS (starting in May - OPEN 7 DAYS)
MON - FRI 11AM - 7PM
SAT 8AM - 7PM (we open early b/c of the neighboring farmers' market)
SUN 12PM - 5PM

-Jill

I was at a gathering a couple of weeks ago and it was also a chocolate tasting. Cheesetique cheeses happened to be there, too (woo hoo!). There were many sweet cheeses, including chocolate goat, to which I was a virgin previously. I was really surprised at how much I liked the White Stilton w/ Mango & Ginger. Pretty yummy stuff!

A few years ago I was at the Wensleydale Creamery and they were putting really wild stuff in their cheeses that I never would have thought could work. They had lots of samples to try and to buy there. Wensleydale with carmelized onions was my favorite.

Mmmm, that sounds good and reminds me. I want to have a cheese tasting fest for St. Patty's Day.
And. I'm totally down with Wallace and Gromit.

Well, Meaghan, you're in luck! We currently have individual "Wallace and Gromit Commemorative" Wensleydale cheeses (just plain Wensleydale - no flavor). They are about 8 oz each, covered in red wax, and have a W&G label.

Additionally, we will be doing special St. Patrick's Day cheese platters in March. They will include all Irish cheeses... and maybe some English Sage Derby cause it's green

Which Irish cheese specifically? Please don't include the sage derby!

Not positive on the cheeses yet - probably Cashel, Coolea, Carrigaline, Dubliner, and some more goodies (nothing too exotic). Regarding the Sage Derby, honestly, people LOVE that cheese. Plus, you can't deny that it looks seasonal Maybe I'll give people the option of including it or not...

nah, its ok - I just get a bit sensitive to the 'paddywhackery' that accompanies St. Patricks day! I guess I should be glad that the occasion is celebrated so, erm, enthusiastically

Hey, Jill?

How come the green cheese is green?
(I mean is it all sage that does that?)

And thanks for your thoughful answers to some of my earlier posts.

Hi, Meaghan...

Sage Derby is green because of chlorophyll that is added to the curd before it is pressed - that's what gives it that green veiny look. So the coloring is "natural" but still Frankenstein-esque. The natural sage which is also in the cheese (where the flavor comes from) is mixed throughout but doesn't really contribute much color.

Jill

I am so-ho-ho-ho excited to be making my first pilgrimage to Cheesetique this weekend!

I'm coming to get supplies for my St. Paddy's party. Will I be able to get a range of Irish cheeses, non-platter-ized?

You certainly should - as much or as little of it as you like, cut to order. The Cashel Blue is a favorite at my house
You'll find lots of other fun/tasty goodies in the shop to go with your cheese too!

(don't forget to make a trip across the street to the Dairy Godmother for a sweet treat or two... )

Mmm... I'll definitely plan on getting a big hunk of that.

I cannot wait! Day o' dairy! (I really need to leave the city more often...)

Absolutely! The platter is just one option. You can get any cheese you like cut just to the size you need and wrapped for you. We will have a selection of Irish cheeses all this week and next.

Yowza. My pilgrimage to Cheesetique went swimmingly, and I now have a compelling reason to leave the city on a more regular basis!

Goldenticket, thanks for the Cashal blue recommendation--it is indeed lovely and delicious. Let me return the favor by recommending the Coolea: Also Irish, it was described by one of the clerks as one of the best cheeses she's ever tasted, and I would agree. (homina homina...)

Does Cheesetique ever carry Le Brebiou (or something similar)? Had this at a restaurant in LA last week and loved it - the perfect combination of slightly funky/sweet/salty/creamy for me.

Edited since I somehow hit "submit" twice and posted a duplicate. Oops.

Le Brebiou is a really young sheep's milk cheese from the Pyrenees in Italy. We don't have that one, but I have a number of other amazing choices from that same region - come in and try them. You won't be disappointed.

I think you mean the French Pyrenees.

I just wanted to let you know that the triple cream goat Jill had at the latest tasting is one of the best cheeses I've ever had in my entire life. It's totally top three with Rochetta and the dry jack that comes with me on hunting trips.

It's great alone, but trancsendent on top of a piece of toast and parsely leaves underneath poached eggs.

Seriously; run, don't walk. As of last Thursday, she only had a couple tiny wheels left...

Oops - it's that pesky "Pyrenees/Piedmont" switch-a-roo. I always do that when I write too briskly I meant the French Pyrenees, right on the border with Spain. But I still stand by my original point that we have AWESOME cheeses from Piedmont in northern Italy AND Pyrenees in southern France. Thanks for the heads-up - sorry for any confusion.

Glad you enjoyed your trek! Come on back when the little farmers' market is in full swing - May or so (or sooner). And thanks for the counter-rec - I have had the Coolea on a cheese plate at Restaurant Eve and, yes, it is delish!

Anybody else going to the goat's milk tasting tonight?

eta: thanks, rocks, for the BD name change. a welcome laugh!

I was there and just want to say thank you to Jill for another great tasting!!

I finally made it to Cheesetique for the first time today. We were out looking at cars nearby when I said "there's this place nearby that I have to stop by." Right after walked in, a couple with a three year old daughter entered. The little girl scrunched up her nose and said "it stinks in here." Her parents laughed and told us "she doesn't like cheese, but we do."

After a few samples, I purchased a half-pound of D'affinois with garlic. Double-cream bried for $13.50 per pound. Without even tasting it, I also took a little more than a quarter-pound of an aged provolone ($14.95 per pound), hoping that it would be as tasty as another aged provolone I'd had at Dino. Yep, it's great. Since I got home, I've eaten almost a quarter of what I bought. Should have bought more.

I was tempted to buy an organic blue gouda, however after I tasted it, I thought "really good, but at $23 or $24 per pound, it's not that different from other blues I can get for less."

Cheesetique also has both truffle salt and saffron salt. Interesting stuff.

Ah, the perils of the organic cheese. This organic blue goat gouda is essentially a goat gouda with blue veining, a cheese which would ordinarily be an "affordable" option. However, becoming a certified organic producer is so expensive that the prices of those cheeses are necessarily much higher than otherwise. I do like to have several organic choices in the shop for those customers that demand it. But to be honest, a great number of producers are what I consider to be "natural" (no antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, etc.) AND affordable. It's the organic stamp that drives up the cost. If you want the natural benefit, stick with the American Artisans - most are all-natural as well.

Thanks!

Cheesetique and ShoeBox Oven have joined forces to create a new line of "Pao de Queijos", Brazilian mini cheese breads. Using three American Artisan cheeses, pastry goddess Krishna Brown has hand-crafted a cheese-plate-inspired pastry extravaganza. Come by the shop and grab your bag of delectable goodies while they're fresh. These rustic, cheesey, gluten-free snacks will arrive early today and we expect them to move out quickly! (Also present will be the delectable champagne chocolate cake - come and get yours before I eat them all!)

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback following the recent tasting sessions!

Jill

This is wonderful news. Y'all I can't stop eating the Pao de Queijos. I warm them in the oven by putting them in when the oven is preheating up to 400 degrees. Then I let them go for a few minutes at 400 degrees. They are amazing.

And the champagne chocolate brownie has blown away more than a few chefs/pastry chefs to whom I have gifted them.

if you are in the neighborhood, come by the Arlington Farmer's Market on Saturday. ShoeBox Oven will also have a selection of Cheesetique paos. otherwise, stroll down Mt. Vernon and right into Cheesetique for some great cheeses, paos and champagne chocolate.

"First, at long last (and after endless begging from our beloved carnivore customers), we are bringing back the Cowboy Ribeyes! They should arrive at Cheesetique this weekend. Please drop me an email (jill@cheesetique.com) and let me know how many you would like so I can set them aside for you. I'll email you when they arrive so you can swing by and re-enter steak bliss! I will also add you to our "Steak List" so you'll be notified every time we're getting a new order. As any lover of the Cowboy Ribeye can attest to, these are truly the best steaks you will ever taste!

-- For those of you who are saying, "Huh? What the heck is a cowboy ribeye?", let me explain. A cowboy ribeye is a mammoth bone-in ribeye steak from Arizona. It is hormone-free, antibiotic free, and free range. The steaks weigh over a pound each and are super-thick (I call them "Fred Flintstone steaks" just to give you an idea). If you are a steak lover, look no further. I swear by these beauties. --"


[from Cheesetique's e-mail today]

The Cheese Lady is a smart one!!

Last night I dreamt I lived upstairs from Cheesetique. My fiancee and I were very poor, and she sent me down to buy a single egg. Unable to control myself, I ended up spending $500 on food. Tons and tons of cheeses, amazing meats like the cowboy ribeye, and other things that Cheesetique doesn't even have like roasted zuccini blossoms and prosciutto-wrapped figs. I felt so guilty about spending all that money when we had none that I gave all the food away to friends and people in the neighborhood. Then Yakov Smirnoff started saying in my head "In Soviet Russia, cheese tiques you!"

Slowly step away from the keyboard...

The night before last, I had a dream that Shogun updated his blog.

I don't even know where to go with that. I must say it is one of the funniest things I have heard in a very long time. Thanks for making me giggle!

Hi, All!

Cheesetique has officially launched its Chefs' Program with Carolyn Stromberg (a.k.a. LittleWing) at the helm. Once Carolyn decided to grace us with her charm and expertise, we knew it was time for a major launch. Cheesetique has always worked with fine restaurants and hotels, but now we can expand our ability to serve existing accounts as well as new ones. Give yourself access to the best selection of specialty cheeses in the area - just give Carolyn a call at 202-236-3044 if you'd like to set up a tasting.

I wanted to getting the word out in a grass-roots-kinda way - thanks for reading!

Jill

I picked up some cheeses at Cheesetique today, including some burrata. They have both Italian and American right now. I bought the Italian and am planning to use it in an antipasto tonight. I can't wait to open it up. I don't know how much longer this supply will last.

Agreed, we need cheese!

Jill sent out an email saying they are closed today through Thursday (Feb 19-21) to move to their new location two doors down at 2411 Mt. Vernon Avenue. Just an FYI. I had been planning a trip there today, so I got the email just in time . I guess my next visit will be to the new store.

I went yesterday to check out the new space. Indeed it's larger and there is even more cheese, meats, vinegars, oils, salts etc. A clever "wall o' wine" is towards the back. I was really happy to see that I was not the only way anxious to check out the new Cheesetique. Soon after they opened their door at noon, there was a dozen shoppers at least who spilled back out onto Mt. Vernon Ave, red bags in hand.
Jill said that the back room will be open next week (for wine and cheese tasting) so I'll be back then to see what's behind the red velvet curtain.
(and thank you for letting me snap a few photos )

I CAN SEEZ PHOTO?

Sure!
http://flickr.com/photos/11055869@N02/sets...57603982376188/
Some more here.

Will this be a 'wine bar' kind of place highlighting wine & cheese pairings? Or a place to Cheesetique to hold events/promos? Is the space available for private tastings? Inquiring minds.......

I can't say enough good things about this place - I was happy to see the new space last weekend and I look forward to the wine and cheese bar even though I'm not sure exactly what the setup will be.

You have to love a place where the proprietor gets happy when you go in and say "what do you have that's stinky?".

I've never gotten a cheese there that I didn't love. Which is as much a nod to the knowledgable staff as the cheeses they carry.

The Cheese & Wine Bar is now open Tuesday-Saturday 5 PM - 9 PM. We will be expanding those hours soon. At the bar, you can get cheese boards, charcuterie boards, entrees, desserts. There are also a number of wines and beers by the glass or bottle. This space will also double as our classroom space on Sundays and Mondays. We will do special events, as well. Just ask!

Hope to see you all soon-
Jill

Unfortunately for nutty buddy, Peanut, and me, Cheesetique opened shortly after we moved away from Del Ray. As a result, I've only been able to stop in a couple of times. But that's enough to make it one of my favorite retail experiences around. Not because it has great cheese (it does), not because it has a nice selection of olive oils and vinegars (it does), not because it has lots of neat cheese related paraphernalia (it does), not even because it has a nice looking wine bar that, alas, I have never been to. But because it has an incredibly nice, pleasant, knowledgeable staff. In the couple of times I have been there, I have always left with a smile on my face due to the efforts of the staff. This is what customer service should be; Danny Meyer would be proud.

Well done, Jill. And a big well done to your staff.

After a frustrating attempt to find horseradish cheddar at the cheesemonger's at Eastern Market yesterday, I decided to drive out to Cheesetique instead. I could have tried the local grocery stores (Harris Teeter probably carries it), but I hadn't been to Cheesetique in a while, and it's always a pleasant experience to go there. The friendly and knowledgeable staff members are a huge draw.