I love this place.
They are part of the same collective as Arizmendi, so obviously I love them. Anyplace that shuts down for Labor Day and Cesar Chavez Day is awesome. They let you sample any cheese, they have a chalkboard listing tons of cheeses, and there's always signs telling you about special cheeses or new arrivals. I was there today, and they had notices up about raw milk blues, organic jack, and organic raw milk cheddar which was WONDERFUL.
Their prices are awesome. I bought a tub of creme fraiche for about half of what it would have cost me at Trader Joe's - and Trader Joe's is usually the cheapest around for that stuff. The staff is very knowledgeable, which is rare in these days of chain store nonsense. And they are also friendly and fast-working, which means that even when it looks really busy they don't take too long to get to you. Plus, they have some of their fabulous breads to peruse and even munch on while you wait - and often, free tea to sip.
My advice when shopping here on a busy day is to arrange what you want in your head ahead of time, and alternate all those little things you want to just taste with the things you are actually going to buy. If you try ten cheeses before picking one, they can sometimes get cranky - although I notice that the woman who got cranky with me is no longer working there. If you are clear about what you want, even if all you know is something like "I need a cheddarish cheese for my macaroni, but NOT CHEDDAR" or "I want something squishy, what cheese are squishy?" they can work wonders at good prices.
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