Best Cheese Shops In Baltimore
Trinacria
406 N. Paca Street
Baltimore, Md. 21201
(410) 685-7285
www.trinacriabaltimore.com
For more than 100 years, the family at Trinacria has offered Baltimore Italian specialties from its North Paca Street location. Aside from the quick and delicious meals, Trinacria also offers personality in Mike Popoli, a former customer who spent so much time around the shop that he was hired. His infectious personality keeps customers coming back, just like the abundant choice of cheeses. The popular smoked mozzarella is $7.29 per pound and a delicious gruyere will set customers back $9.99 per pound. Delicious asiago to toast atop bread costs $7.29 per pound. Customers may design a tray starting at $4.99 per person and include four meats and two cheeses, rolls, pepperoncini, olives, mustard, mayo and two salads.
Related: Best Italian Delis In The Baltimore Area
Cheese Galore and More
Cross Street Market
1065 S. Charles Street
Baltimore, Md. 21230
(410) 244-5515
www.cheesegaloreandmore.com
It's hard to imagine where all of the cheese fits at Cheese Galore and More's small stall at the Cross Street Market, but there are 85 gourmet varieties for the choosing. From semi-soft tallegio and limburger to 12 kinds of blue cheese — including Federal Hill blue — Cheese Galore and More offers artisan, local and international cheeses for every need. The gourmet shop also offers homemade dips, crackers, fresh breads and local Zeke's coffee to complement the cheeses. Gifts may be insulated to ensure cheese stays fresh. With 24 hours notice, Cheese Galore and More will put together a cheese platter for any occasion.
Milk and Honey Market
816 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, Md. 21201
(410) 685-6455
www.milkandhoneybaltimore.com
Milk & Honey's deli offers a variety of locally sourced cheeses, which are used in its paninis, sandwiches and breakfast items. Its cheese plate includes Manchego cheese, Cherry Glen Monacacy Ash and triple-creme, French brie over mixed greens with Greek olives, fig paste and baguette slices, and one portion of prosciutto, Genoa salami or sweet coppa for $12.95. Customers may also select three-meat and cheese platters named for the Mount Vernon streets that encompass Milk and Honey — Saint Paul, Charles and Cathedral. Small catering trays are $15.99 and large trays to serve four to eight people are $30.
Atwater's
529 E. Belvedere Avenue
Baltimore, Md. 21212
(410) 323-2396
atwaters.biz
Atwater's at Belvedere Square always offered plenty of fresh, delicious choices for any meal, but the addition of its dairy bar took its cheese options to a new level. The new counter made of steel and reclaimed wood features a hand-picked selection of Artisanal cheeses, milk, yogurt and ice cream. All cheese plates are $12.95 and vary based on locale. The local cheese plate includes Firefly Farms Cabra La Mancha, Cherry Glen Chevre and Meadow Creek dairy Appalachian, with roasted peanuts, crostini and Rare Opportunity Farms mango jam. The two other places offer selections sourced from Vermont and the San Francisco Bay area.
Whole Foods
1001 Fleet Street, Suite A
Baltimore, Md. 21202
(410) 528-1640
1330 Smith Avenue
Baltimore Md. 21209
(410) 532-6700
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Whole Foods is already widely accepted as a place to pick up fresh, seasonal ingredients, so finding that in the cheese department is no surprise. Whole Foods also offers lessons on building a cheese plate or pairing wines with cheeses. (For example, sheep's milk brings a touch of sweetness to traditional Manchego Spanish cheese, which is made even better with the dried fruit flavors in Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.) Whole Foods professionals in the United States and Canada hold 70 of the 121 American Cheese Society cheese certifications, making this one of the best choices no matter how much you avoid big-name stores.
Renee Libby Beck spends her days as a public relations and social media manager for Medifast, Inc. and any spare time that she can find as a freelance writer. Her work has been published in local and national publications. Renee also serves as the Baltimore Food Examiner for Examiner.com.
