Newly soft opened on Kettner Boulevard is The Cheese Store of San Diego's first brick-and-mortar storefront. Marci and Aaron Flores, who launched their company back in 2012 with a booth at the Little Italy Mercato, will continue to post up at the weekly market but The Cheese Store now has a permanent place for cheese lovers to get their fix; the 1,000-square-foot space is the first food tenant in Broadstone Little Italy, where it'll be neighbors with Cafe Gratitude when the vegan eatery opens later this year.
The Cheese Store's gleaming cases are stacked with wedges and rounds of over 65 varieties of cheese. Though the cheese collection is curated from all over the world, their comprehensive assortment of cheese pairing items, from preserves to charcuterie, are all sourced domestically; they're the exclusive local vendor of jams from LA's white-hot bakery, SQIRL and there's also an olive oil station stocked with California oil to pour into refillable bottles.
In addition to the retail side, the shop also offers a bistro-esque menu of cheese-centric bites by chef Audrey Ednalino that ranges from a rotating cheese board to tomato soup and grilled cheese, mac and cheese and specialty sandwiches that include a banh mi and The Fremo, an open-faced sandwich of taleggio cheese, roasted garlic, sautéed mushrooms and thyme aioli on focaccia. The kitchen is making their mustards and pickles in-house and plans to bake up cheese-based desserts and pastries, including ricotta cheesecake.
Beer and wine are available to drink on-site at one of the 20 seats indoors and on the outdoor patio and the store is working a license for off-premise bottle sales. The shop also intends to launch a series of classes, from pairing events to cheese education.
The Cheese Store of San Diego is currently open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
