The Cheese Shop

My family has been customers of this store for over 20 years, going back to when they were in the mall at Keystone at the Crossing. Yesterday we had an experience there that was completely surreal and wanted others to be warned. We were in town visiting and I had told my girlfriend how amazing their Sicilian cream cheese is so we stopped in to pick up a package. They only had large sized tubs in the fridge so I asked the girl behind the counter (Emily) if she would be willing to split a container for me, something they had always been willing to do in the past. Instead of helping she told me no and become hostile and abrasive to me for having even asked. Shocked at how I was being treated, I asked for the owner’s information, to which she replied I was lucky she wasn’t «cussing me out». At the same time, another kid who works there (Dave) came over and started berating me. When I asked him his name and who he was, he said with a smug smile on his face that his name was «get the hell out». The behavior was so strange and disturbing that we actually debated calling the police from the parking lot when we left.
I have no idea what has changed at that business in the time I’ve been gone but this type of behavior is despicable. Sadly, from some of the other comments on Unilocal,including the complaint to the Better Business Bureau, I am not the only one who has been treated so poorly. My family will never shop there again and I would encourage others to strongly reconsider. We have also tried contacting the business to speak to the owner but a woman who sounds strikingly like Emily tells us he is not in.

We were in town visiting my boyfriend’s family and he raved about a product at the cheese shop. When we went in, he asked the woman at the counter (Emily) if it would be possible to make a smaller container of the product (which is packaged in store anyway) and she became incredibly rude.
He asked for the owner’s information and as she was getting it, another employee (Dave) walked over and said he was the manager and his name was «get the hell out. As in, you can get the hell out of the store.» All this because my boyfriend asked for a smaller sized container of cheese! We were not rude or aggressive at all. I live in Manhattan and people talk about how rude New Yorkers are-I’ve never seen anything like this. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

I popped in with the intention of choosing a few new cheeses to try. I wasn’t planning an event or looking for a gift, but I was very impressed with the selection and the baskets they offered. I simply asked for recommendations similar to cheeses I like; Brie, Parmesan, something with a bite that crumbles, and anything they might think I would be interested in.
The staff is very helpful and friendly, and allow you to try samples before you purchase. I ended up spending $ 27, which isn’t too bad for the amount I got. I walked away with a pound and a half of cheese, three different types in total, and also some water crackers and blueberry jam.
I overheard a gentleman saying he was hosting a party for eight and didn’t know anything about cheese. They were super helpful setting him up with a variety of cheeses that would serve that number of people.
I had been considering signing up for the cheese of the month club, an online subscription, but I couldn’t justify the $ 40 per month. I spent less than that at The Cheese Shop, was able to sample them before hand, and got crackers and jam! I think I will be visiting monthly and creating my own cheese club!
Also, just because it’s a local shop doesn’t mean the cheese is all local. They have cheese from around the world. :)

If you are looking for some amazing accompaniment sauces, jams, hot sauce, or spices check this place out. Their cheese selection isn’t all that grand. It’s very small for being a cheese shop. If you’re looking for a huge selection of cheeses from all over the world check out Vine and Table in Carmel, on E. Carmel Drive. The Cheese Shop is a clean and inviting place. Love it.

I set my sights on The Cheese Shop ages ago, but have not had the right opportunity to pop in until this weekend. What a fortunate happenstance! I wanted to take home half the shop, but settled on some cheese. Ewephoria, in fact. It’s a gouda from Holland made from sheep’s milk. Very yummy addition to the evening. I also grabbed a fun salt shaker for popcorn night! Reviews are in and they are good. We still need to try the jalapeño salt, but the other three were winners. Were they amazingly unique to anything that could be purchased at another store? Certainly not. Was it over priced? A bit. Was it fun and worth it? Absolutely.
I would say that is a pattern for most options in the store. I’ll definitely be back, but I won’t be adding The Cheese Shop to my regular shopping rotation. I think it is a great stop for gift shopping or to add a little something special to the occasional stay-​in date night.

Four stars for the shop, TEN STARS for the Sicilian Crème!
Good selection of preserves (sweet and savory), oils, vinegars, crackers, spices, other assorted gourmet foods, coffee and tea, charcuterie, and cheeses. Wines, too. You can find some of the products elsewhere, like Whole Foods. Prices are okay — I’ve seen better. But I don’t come here for any of these things.
Do yourself a favor and go in and sample the Sicilian Crème. It’s cream cheese blended with spices and (presumably) garlic and black pepper and surely some kind of magical pixie dust and/​or highly-​addictive controlled substance because wow do I want to just tear through my entire tub before I even walk out of the shop! I buy two packages of the taralli crackers to go with a one-​pound tub (they look like tiny crunchy bagels).
Their newer location in a shopping plaza suits them much better than their old location within the mall. Much easier to run in, get my Sicilian Crème fix, and be on my way.

Fiancé and I stopped here on a whim but had been eyeing it for some time. I couldn’t be happier we finally visited. It was nothing like the Monty Python skit!
We had no intentions on buying anything but when the samples started coming the cash started flying! The staff really are knowledgeable, they are friendly, and not the least bit pushy. The man who helped us talked to us about what we like and suggested samples of similar types.
While the cheeses are on the expensive side, they are definitely worth it. I will still buy the cheese I use in mass quantities at Costco but for a treat our a little something to make that sandwich amazing, this is the place to which I will return.

This is where we’ve started buying coffee. Yup… we drive about 15 miles round-​trip for these beans. Their Sicilian cream, an herbed cream cheese they make IN HOUSE, is fantastic. I’ve even put it in omelets. Of course, there’s a sample pot out for you to try… so yummy!
It isn’t just cheese… it’s also cured meats, gourmet foods (canned and fresh or cured), pasta, sodas, spice blends, and even wine. Great place to put together a gift basket for housewarming or a similar occasion. We even bought some Super Bowl snacks here. You’re able to try just about everything before you buy, and the employees are really knowledgeable and do a fantastic job packaging everything up for you.
Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area, and worth a trip if you’re not! Nice, spacious store too.

Buying pepperoni was told they won’t slice it for me. Clearly refused. At 12.99 a pound that clearly bad service. I don’t no any other shop in town that would refuse to slice meat for the customer. I was very disappointed with the service. There was nice older lady who was helpful but the young man was clearly rude as could be.

Great assortment of a variety of cheeses at reasonable prices. The sun dried tomato torta is a «must taste, must have» item. Their wine selection is small but very good. We also like their frozen ‘take and bake’ breads. Delicious.

I absolutely love the new location across the street from the Fashion Mall. Much easier to get in and out quickly.
Sample any and all cheeses before you purchase. Pick the brains of the well-​versed cheesemongers (is that a real word?).
An added bonus is it’s just a few doors down from Omaha Steaks. I could get into a lot of trouble here (actually I have already).

Reviews on this place really run the spectrum, and I have to agree with the trend. The cheeses I’ve bought have been delicious but the service here is all over the place.
I have had GREAT service here from really knowledgeable employees, and in the same trip have had surly, unhelpful staff ignore me. Weird.
Anyway if you are in the area and needing cheese, meats, wine, and/​or specialty gourmet items, and you want to skip the grocery store, try The Cheese Shop. They give samples which is super helpful.

Yes, this place is pricey, but my husband and I had a $ 25 gift card that went a long way. We decided to have a date night and challenge eachother to a gourmet grilled cheese cook off. The person behind the counter was very knowledgable of what cheese melted best and let us try some samples. That was very nice. All of the cheese we bought was really good. Once, a friend of mine came here and purchased cheese to make saganaki. It turned out really well. While this isn’t a place to go every week for your daily cheese needs, it’s a neat place to pick up some items for a nice dinner party or some items to share around the holidays. You could put together a nice gift for someone with items from the store. I think a gift card to here makes an excellent wedding gift. My best friend’s parents got this for us along with a really nice cheese cutting kit and server. What a great gift. It was a nice amenity for our kitchen and helped us put together a date night as well. I could see us coming back here to pick up items for a dinner party or purchasing gift cards for other couples that we know for anniversary gifts or wedding gifts. I do like thier new location across from Keystone mall near khols. It makes more sense, but I had no opposition to them being inside the mall. It was just another thing that made the fashion mall unique and upscale. And really, if you want to put together a cheese plate for a dinner party, get ¼ to ¹⁄₃ of a pound of a few and you’ve got your cheese plate. I mean yeah, if you get a pound of each, that is where you’ll spend way too much, but this stuff is so rich that you don’t need to buy a ton of it all at once.

I heart the Cheese Shop. If I could bathe in their house-​made Sicilian crème dip I would. Damn that stuff is so good. And if you pair it with those plain crostini sticks, it is guaranteed to be a favorite at a party. This place has some delicious coffee beans, too. And unique teas. Just a great destination for cheese, hors de oeuvres, and other entertaining nibbles and libations.

While the cheese is super pricey, this is a great place to go to try types of cheese you’ve never had before… then go buy them somewhere else the next time. It’s hard to be a repeat customer for the cost. That said, the staff are super nice and always willing to give you samples and recommend cheeses.
They also have a pretty good selection of coffee, some wines, and a lot of crackers, salami, and chocolate. This is a great place to pop in before going to a party for a nice hostess gift.
Try the blue cheese butter. This stuff is great melted on steak. Conveniently, they are located two doors down from Omaha Steaks (no longer in the mall!), so you can hit them both, then get home and get grilling!

This place is O. K…but as has been observed by others… more of a serendipitous gourmet shop… with items that really are not all that gourmet.
I am not overly impressed with the cheese offerings… you can find many of the same products elsewhere for less.
There are some incredible cheese products made right in these here United States… but alas… you cannot find them in great supply anywhere. Part of the reason is cost… imported cheeses with outstanding flavor profiles are cheaper.
Even going to Dorothy Lane Market in Dayton, or Wegmans grocery chain… more choices… often higher quality.
I am sure these cheeseheads know their market… and I am in the minority… willing to buy $ 30.00 pound cheezes… but I wish this market could support the higher end products hand made by very passionate people.
They do have some cured meat products that are quite good. but not the best.
For instance… you cannot get Bellota Iberrico hams anywhere in this city… it is available at Jungle Jims in cincy.

For a store called «The Cheese Shop» there wasn’t very much cheese hanging around. It’s really more of a «gourmet» food shop. They have wine (which fits with cheese), salad dressings, strange imported food items, jellies, jams, spreads we don’t need galore, and some cheese.
It’s really a food gift basket store. Like you walk in the door, pick out a gift basket and tell the people working the kind of stuff you want placed in said gift basket to give to the uncle or in-​laws or in my case, your overweight loves fake gourmet foodie father.
They need to change the name. That’s all I’m saying. It’s not really a cheese shop at all.

The cheese shop is definitely a place I can’t stay in for long due to the overwhelmingly pungent smells of various cheeses and my highly developed sense of lactose intolerance. If you yearn for European cheeses, than this is the place. And, of course, in a fine cheese shop there are also several awesome (and awesome to experiment with) wines from obscure locales throughout the US and world. They have decided to pack up shop and move out of the Fashion Mall itself to the Fashion Mall Commons across 86^th Street. This might be smart move because now it is a lot easier to get in and get on with your dinner plans!

If you (like me) take the «A-​OK» of a 3-​star rating literally, I gotta give The Cheese Shop 2 stars because it is not A-​OK to do what they’re doin’.
It urges me say something cliché in my whiny Jason Lee voice, «who buys cheese in a mall?» I guess a lot of people do.
Maybe I should reconsider my take on all this & think: look, The Cheese Shop is like a deli invading the mall-​scene. It’s just taking what you love of a cheese /​deli and throwing it in a mall. Yet, I can’t really say I’d be diggin’ what they’re doin’ if they weren’t in a mall either. Take my experience: man in search of the Yirg, man must hunt down Yirg no matter the travel to find the best cup of Yirg in town, and man will drink the Yirg and live and breathe off that joyous cup of Yirg for many nights. So, Man (that’s me) tracks down Yirg at the Cheese Shop, treks into a mall for Yirg, goes home and brews stale Yirg to result in one long stale experience.
Note to purveyors of Yirg & other fine delectable coffees: I’m no G.I. Joe folks… I don’t just drink my coffee black & strong b/​c it tastes like dirt & goes well with my gritty pall malls. I drink coffee because it’s the finest substance nature has ever given us, and coffee farmers take great care in producing & picking it, so I’m not down for over-​roasting & long time ago roasting to create stale cups. The Point: much creativity rests on the shoulders of coffee cups. Don’t botch it. But you did Cheese Shop you really did!
An aside… the cheese was alllllll imported and overpriced. Where’s mah local goat cheese?!

I second Betsy’s vote! I am also a lover of all things cheese (well, I am a little picky and just can’t do blue or Swiss no matter how fancy they are) and have found lovely treats at The Cheese Shop!
Unfortunately I don’t make it to Keystone at the Crossing much anymore, but I used to work nearby and loved checking out the yummy options at the shop. I would absolutely recommend their Sicilian Crème to anyone– a very mild, but very delicious flavor. My coworkers and I used to live off the stuff! I’m sure it’s terrible for you, but worth every calorie and fat gram!
The Cheese Shop also has a good selection of other gourmet goodies — cookies, crackers, jams, coffees, etc. Stop in for your holiday shopping needs, especially if you have a foodie on your list (or a cheesie!).