Village Cheese Shop

Up until I started mongering on the weekends at Lucy’s Whey, I probably spent more time at the Village Cheese Shop than any other.  My wife and I spend a lot of time out east when visiting friends of ours, and this is their go-to place when it comes to cheese on the North Fork of Long Island.

Located on Love Lane in Mattituck, this shop has a wonderful selection of cheeses from around the world, as well as cured meats, oils, and other sundries that you might pair with cheese on a day out in wine country.

People that frequent cheese shops regularly can usually attest to the fact that they wish they had more time to look and taste.  In some of the various cheese shops that I have been to around the country, I find it so refreshing when you are helped by a cheesemonger who focuses on you and you alone, even when the masses of people are 3-deep in front of the counter.  The mongers at this shop are no exception.  Even as the crowd started to roll in preparing for their weekend events, Richardo the manager took time in making suggestions and pointing out a couple of particularly interesting cheeses such as a raw sheep’s milk cheese from Portugal called Azeitao.  This cheese, made with a thistle rennet as opposed to animal or synthetic rennet, has a luscious and creamy texture with an incredible earthy flavor that only sheep’s milk can provide.  Although some thistle rennet cheeses can impart a hint of bitterness, Azeitao coats your tongue with a rich and creamy texture with just a hint of sweetness.

As I made my purchases and prepared to leave, I looked at the other customers in the shop and saw the same look on their faces that I  hope to see when I’m working behind the counter.  They were intent on the cheese, they were listening to their monger, and they were smiling…