The Calf and Kid

Would definitely recommend dropping in this cool market spot. We had the local cheese plate and stopped in at the winery next door to enjoy it. Really pleasant staff and amazing wine and cheese!

It’s a small counter, yet the selection is quality. The staff makes your cheese-​buying experience wonderful, as whatever you’re in the mood for, they will have great recommendations as to what to get. And of course, you can have a sample of it first. I also love that many of the cheeses are within the Pacific Northwest, with many different kinds. If you wish to dine in, they have a cheese plate for 12 bucks which gets you three different kinds of cheeses (one hard, one soft and one bleu) with crackers. Fortunately, too, it’s conveniently located next door to Bar Ferd’nand for that glass of wine, to complete your meal.

This is in the Melrose market. It’s a small stand, but they have lots of important and local stuff, and they even have cheese kits you can buy (with citric acid and everything).
We got a local cheese plate and ate it next door at the wine bar (the two owners are friends). She made us a nice selection of 3 cheese based on what we usually like. The plate was $ 12 ($ 2 for their quince paste, which was pretty good), and it came with 3 cheese and some crackers. My favorite was the Mountain Lodge Farm Wonderland — a goat cheese that tasted like a cheddar + gouda. We ended up buying more of it to take home, and I wish we could find it in the bay area.
Cheese is never cheap, but I love being able to try local things when I travel, the owner was super helpful, and it’s a nice set up that they have with the wine bar next door.

We stumbled here after getting our seafood fix at Taylor Shellfish next door. The proprietor of this spot couldn’t have been more accommodating and helpful. We stumbled across the fact that we were visiting from SF and that we were returning the following day.
She promptly hooked us up with samples of whatever we asked for and we walked away with 3 slices of some of the best local cheese we’ve ever had! She even sold is ½ of a baguette with our cheese since she knew we wouldn’t be able to finish the whole thing before our flight!
5 stars for being a class act and selling some of the best cheese around!

I had such high hopes when I visited in early December. I expected something more akin to Essex, or Bedford in NY or Fromagerie or Nala’s in Wisco. The cheesemongers working at the counter at the time of my visit, had little knowledge of their stock. I asked about the status of potential shipment of Rush Creek Reserve and was met with «Deer in the Headlights» and crickets. Quite honestly, I can get that level of service at a cheese counter at QFC or Whole Foods.
I will probably stop in when I’m in Capital Hill area, but not worth making a special trip.

OK Cheese lovers, this place is amazing. I am from Boston and had to order some specialty cheese for the owner of my company. Sheri put together an amazing gift basket of cheese and other wonderful goodies. My boss and his family loved it. If you are looking for the best cheese in Seattle, look no further. There is only one place to go — The Calf and Kid!
Todd B
Boston, MA

The people here are always very excited to talk cheese with you. I don’t ever have a reason to take home a giant hunk of cheese, so much to my infinite joy they have a basket of small cheeses you can try. I want to live in it.

I wanted to buy ALL THE CHEESE to go but since I’m from out of town and I have a certain degree of lactose intolerance, I decided against it. The cheesemonger was still incredibly nice about everything, and even recommended cheeses that would be less likely to disrupt my digestive system. He also turned me on to a cheese-​centric event in my home town to check out. Can’t ask for much more from a place that is mainly here to be an «experience» more than your local cheese source (I mean really who can afford amazing fancy cheeses from all over the world all the time? Not me. 75% of the time I’m buying Lucerne brand whatever is on sale.)
Also, Anthony Bourdain was right about the chocolate goat milk truffles. It sounds weird but it tastes pretty damn good.

I highly recommend this cheese shop if you are in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. Amazing truffle tremor cheese from Northern California. Also, they have many more local cheeses, or American and International (e.g. Gouda from Holland). A must place that I will continue to frequent on my trips to Seattle.

My first time visiting here and I experienced the worst and rudest customer service of my life. A tall brunette with glasses made my two friends and I feel unnecessarily unwelcome. I was excited to pick out a cheese plate and left feeling upset I spent money on being mistreated. However, the selection of cheeses was nice. I will not be returning.

YAY for people who are passionate about cheese and know what the heck they’re talking about.
The Calf and Kid is completely awesome, with a huge selection of cheeses, and very knowledgeable cheesemongers. After describing my favorite kind of cheese (Epoisses de Bourgogne), we were brought out a plate of 5 chunks of delicious cheese, all that I ended up liking quite a bit. (Although word to the wise — 10 oz of cheese between 2 people is an awful lot, so order accordingly.)
If you have time to kill, it’s worth dropping by for a cheese plate and heading next door to the bar for a glass or two of wine. Also, be sure to pick up a bag of their goat’s milk caramels!

One of my favorite stops while on our trip in Seattle. The shop itself is smaller than I thought, but was still a great experience. The ladies at the counter were kind, and allowed us to try different samples of cheese. We ended up taking a few with us, along with small container of fig jam (kudos, I like that for 1.00 I can get a small side, instead of buying a whole jar)
I can’t even remember the name of the cheese which saddens me, but they had a great goat cheese Gouda, and also a softer salter cheese. We also tried some goat cheese truffles that were unusual, but nice
I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting, a great stop on the way to a park that is for sure.

I came here in January last year and loved it. Melrose Market is a great little specialty shopping area in Capital Hill. The ladies here are super nice and happy to let you try a bunch of their domestic and imported delicious cheeses. From gooey, to stinky, to aged, to all the above, they have it and it’s really good.
What they have on hand will vary based on the season. They also have almost everything you’d want to go with your cheese: crackers, jams, and fresh bread, and chocolate. Have no worry if charcutiere is missing, just hop a few steps across their station and go to Rain Shadow Meats for a great butchery with some tasty charcutiere. When I came here I picked up some stuff from each and enjoyed them together.

The Calf and Kid was the kind of cheese shop I was looking for since I moved out here!
The selection of cheese is fantastic! There are several kinds of Bleu Cheese and Gouda. Kinds that Steve has been looking for and wanted to use for some recipes he wanted to make at home!
There is a good stepping stone as to just how good The Calf and Kid are and that is the cheese plates that they offer. For $ 12.00 you can get three kinds of cheese and some crackers to get a sampling. On our cheese plate we had a fantastic Bleu Cheese and a kind of Sheep Cheese. I didn’t precisely keep track of the specific names but knew full well that what I was eating was fantastic!
This is the first cheese shop where I actually invested the time to investigate which is lucky for me because it saved a lot of leg work to find the perfect kind of cheese that I am looking for.
Really a perfect place!

On a per-​square-​foot basis, it’s hard to imagine a cooler retail establishment in the city. She delivers soooo much from such a tiny footprint, it’s just unbelievable.
You probably know this, but, just in case: the Calf and Kid shares space with multiple other specialty food shops in Melrose Market. You can have a great meal here in a nice casual environment, and get a few different things for the table, should you choose to shop at multiple other businesses. Parking can be a serious drag around here unless you get pretty lucky, so combining errands is a great idea.
The C&K is just a couple cases and a couple shelves, and the guiding personality of the owner across the counter. She runs it right down to the little signs and the bits of scotch tape, and her enthusiasm transforms the setting completely. She is furiously devoted to what she’s doing, and it shows. She’s picking out the absolute best cheeses, no matter how far-​flung they might be. To some extent that’s her niche; she gets stuff no one else does, and so she serves people that can’t get what they want elsewhere. But she also gets a fair few walk-​up customers; I was here for maybe ten minutes on a Saturday afternoon and she sold cheese to four other groups of people. All but one of them just asked for recommendations – so she’s also selling cheese in large measure to people who just trust her to turn them on to good stuff.
I came in for Stichelton, an unpasteurized version of Stilton, which has incredibly complex and explosive flavors. After a few calls and emails, it seemed like she was the only person stocking it, for miles and miles in any direction. I could be wrong, but she definitely delivered on it. She also hooked up me up with a great regular Stilton and a really nice English Cheddar, along with tastes of a couple other things. She made careful recommendations in assembling a group of cheeses that worked well together, as well as for crackers and beverages to have with them.
I came for the Stichelton because it was evidently invented decades ago to serve specifically with beer styles I love (barleywines, old ales, british strong ales). Right on point, she suggested pairing it with beer rather than anything else. I told her what I had read about how Stichelton came to be, which I don’t think was news to her by any means. But it’s so cool to find someone in the cheese business who embraces pairing it with beer – I told her any cheese pairs well with beer, if you know which beer style to use, and she enthusiastically encouraged that line of thinking. She certainly knows how to make a lifelong devoted customer out of a walk-​in.
She’s also opening a cheese bar in Ballard this year. I hope she has a good lineup of beers to pair with everything, for customers who want to go that way.

Stumbled upon this cheese shop after a meal at Taylor Shellfish Farms. Thanks to this place, I am no longer afraid of cheese made from sheep’s milk! They were very happy to give out samples of any of their cheeses.
I ended up with a truffle cheese made of cow and sheep’s milk and a triple cream brie. YUM.

ADDICTION ALERT!
This place is dangerous… especially if you’re a lactose-​intolerant person that loooooooves cheese to an unhealthy degree. *breaks out the lactaid pills*
I seriously eat a BRICK of cheese every time I visit. What’s a brick? HALF A POUND! Seriously, that is just sick and obscene for one person to eat in one sitting. Pair it with the delicious, salty cracker bread that they sell right in the shop… oh man. *celestial choir sings*
My favorite? 1-​year aged manchego. SO F’ING GOOD. Perfectly dry, delicious, and crisp. Perfect with crackers, figs, or dried fruit. Great in salads. Or eating an entire brick in one sitting, as I do. But you’re going to pay a pretty penny for it. I spend about $ 16 – 20 for half a pound of this baby when I go. I had to ask myself if I really needed it once when I spent more than I had on brunch (the answer was yes).
I’m not one for soft cheeses, and I’m still learning to appreciate my dairy nemesis, but I am eager to try different varieties, as they seem to have a huge selection. The employees are always super friendly and knowledgeable, which is a huge plus. Plus, it’s located in Melrose Market (über-​major-​hipster-​alert), which is just SUPER AMAZING. Love that place.
Mooooooooooooo, gimme some more!

How have I never reviewed the Calf and Kid? I’ve been here a ton. I like everything… from the helpful and knowledgeable service, to the bread and chocolate (seriously try the goat cheese truffles), to the tiny bars you can take home that are leftover ends, but are cheap and plentiful and fun to experiment with…
Seriously…go here. Eat cheese!

Mmmmmmm! Cheeeeeese! GLORIOUS Cheese!
SITREP
If the all-​powerful supreme force of the universe were to sit down with me and have a cup of espresso and ask, «Michelangelo, in this universe of my creations (or „evolutions“, *wink*), what three things have meant the most to you?»
And without hesitation, I could rattle them off to her (*wink!*), in no particular equally-​important non-​order:
* Cats
* Mozart
and,
* CHEESE
…cause THAT’S how serious I am about cheese [he says as he is immersed in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, with pocket-​panther Bobby lazing on his lap, and pocket-​panther Jack focused on knocking over the laptop speakers because he apparently dislikes piano [*Sacrilege!* — let the torturous tickles and tummy-​rubs commence!)]. And like all my other exotic eccentricities — chocolate, espresso, Star Wars fanaticism, whoopee cusions, etc. — I have my dear olé Mammsita to thank.
And that’s why I love «The Calf and Kid» so much — in such an addictive (really, I’m not kidding: ADDICTIVE) way — because if cheese were crack, the «Kid» would be my dealer.
SETUP
Around for just about two (2) years now, Calf & Kid are the ROYALTY when it comes to «Artisan Cheese» making and procurement [Gah. I know, I know, I HATE the misuse of the word «Artisan» (and «Authentic», and «Hand-​Crafted», and «Like Mom Made!») but here it IS appropriate for a change (so to continue…)], they have a tight relationship with many of the local cheese-​makers in the Seattle-​and-​beyond-​areas, and they understand the delicacies and peculiarities involved in refining many varietals of cheese. And I for one am impressed with a business procurement plan that relies on local business & industry and promotes the dairy-​wealth of our surrounding area.
CHEESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Calf & Kid are very liberal with their samples to get you familiar with their product-​lines and I’m always amazed with the wealth of knowledge that comes with explaining every single tidbit of wonderful solidified piece of lactose. This «Cheese Education» by these Doctors of Pasteurization has caught on locally too and now customers are always asking for the local varietals of cheeses by name.
And the selection could not be more delectable. I have gotten and can heartily recommend their:
* Cheddar
* Bleu
* Gouda
* Jack
* Mizithra
* Cheese whiz (haha! I kid! I kid!)
* Mozzarella
* Gruyère (Fondue-​Alert!)
* Emmentaler (Fondue-​Alert!)
* etc. etc.
A true smörgåsbord of delicious cheese!
CHEESE CLASSES
What’s really cool about Calf & Kid is how they take «Cheesocology» to the NEXT level, and actually give «Cheese classes» to customers. These are fun! Only $ 35 for a great time of learning more about cheese and then being inundated with about 10 – 15 different kinds of cheeses to sample and eat and feast on.
CHEESE FARM TOURS!
And if classes weren’t already enough, then there are the «Cheese Farm Tours», a most blessed opportunity (he says «Amen» with cheese in his mouth), Calf & Kid arrange delightful fieldtrips to a local creamery to see the entire process of cheese making from beginning to end, with the workers, and the animules that bring together all of our favorite cheese varietals, that tempt and tantalize our tastebuds and satisfy our cheese-​cravings and hunger. This is a very family-​friendly event that includes transportation, lunch and pictures with animals! .
THE LOWDOWN
If you have a yen for cheese, then you have found your cheese-​nirvana! (Or «cheevana» as I like to say!) So fire up the fondue pot and I’ll bring over some Gruyère! ;^D

What a cute shop! What friendly employees! What delicious cheese!
A few weeks ago I found myself really hungry and craving some cheese, so I walked over to The Calf and Kid. The employee asked me what I was looking for, and I wasn’t sure, so I just stared at the varieties and she got a few samples out. (I LOVE SAMPLES.)
I tried a French cheese and some other kind of cheese, and really really REALLY enjoyed the French triple-​cream brie-​like cheese (something du Vallage?), so I asked for a bit of that one. She asked how many people I was buying cheese for, and when I said it was just for me, she offered to cut a little «snack» sized piece for me. Since then, I tend to prefer that cheese when they have it, but I purchased a bit of tasty Gorgonzola (I think) once. Sampling cheese is fun!
I’ve also been grabbing raw cheese for my sweetie, and that has kept him very, very happy. Some varieties have been much better than others (we decided one raw cheese tasted like «cow butt”– don’t know how we came to it, but it made sense…), but overall he’s been very happy to finally have cheese he can eat again. (The «This tastes like… cow butt» experience taught me to really appreciate that Calf & Kid lets you sample cheese. He finished that block of cheese, but he’s enjoyed the others much more.)
On my first few visits I picked up a loaf of Macrina bread with my cheese purchase, but they have since stopped carrying bread. Now they just have a brand of crackers that I frequently see on cheese plates at restaurants. There are also some books and veggies in jars, but I haven’t properly explored those shelves yet.
What’s left is… how much that cheese costs. Cheese isn’t a super cheap thing, right? I was a little worried about the cost of my purchase the first time (many per-​pound prices are in the $ 20s), but never since then. The small pieces of fancy French cheese I’ve gotten have cost $ 2 – 5 each, which was MUCH less than I expected. When I was looking at the per-​pound prices, I was imagining that I’d be spending $ 5 or $ 10 on a tiny slice. Guess that shows how bad I am at estimating the weight of cheese!