Cuisine Scene: Cheese Shops
If you’ve never ventured beyond cheddar, Swiss, or provolone, there is a wonderful wide world of cheese out there for you to discover! Fortunately, that world includes Long Beach where there are several exceptional cheese shops where knowledgeable cheesemongers guide you in selecting a few new-to-you varieties to try with a bottle of wine at home or in creating your own charcuterie board for a party.
THE VINTAGE LBC
The Vintage LBC (4236 Atlantic Ave) in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood is a gourmet cheese shop offering cheese and charcuterie boards, The Perfect Pairings Cheese Club, and a menu of cheese-centric dishes, including salads and sandwiches. Drop in for a cheese flight and glass of beer or wine, or sign up for one of their classes or tasting events. The Vintage LBC (which stands for Libations, Bites, and Cheese) also makes custom cheese “cakes,” stacking whole cheese rounds to create a layered cake for your special event.
OH LA VACHE
Located on Retro Row, Oh La Vache (2112 E 4th St) offers a sizable selection of cow, sheep, and goat’s milk cheeses along with everything you’d need for a picnic–snacks, drinks, fresh baguettes and gourmet condiments. Join their Cheese of the Month Club to find new favorites, order a cheese and charcuterie board, or check their Instagram feed for a daily grab-and-go sandwich menu. Recent choices have included French ham with cultured butter, Comté, and Dijon on a sesame-onion loaf, and mortadella with cheddar and pimento aioli on olive loaf.
FIOR DI LATTE
Located inside the Hangar food hall at Long Beach Exchange, Fior Di Latte (4150 McGowen St, Suite 8) offers takeout charcuterie boxes filled with a selection of artisanal cheeses, meats, and other goodies. Walk in and pick up a box from their limited daily stock, or pre-order for next-day pickup. Fior di Latte (Italian for “flower of milk”) offers boxes in a variety of sizes, a vegan box, and a kids box that includes cheese, fruit, and mini chocolate chip cookies.
O’LAVI
O’LaVi is a vegan cheesemonger that pops up around Long Beach offering 100 percent plant-based cheeses and deli items. With selections like the Honee Pistachio Chèvre from Rebel Cheese in Austin, Texas, and spicy soppressata salami from Renegade Foods in Berkeley, California, you can compose an exciting and varied vegan cheese board from O’LaVi’s offerings. Find them at Trademark Brewing on Mondays, at the Bixby Knolls Farmers Market on Thursdays, and the Marina Farmers Market on Sundays. You can also visit their online shop for local delivery or pickup.
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