The Cheese Store

So… you know. just driving through the middle of nowhere upstate New York, cruising through miles of farms and field… and on the look out for some quality upstate NY cheddar. (literally cheese, ha) and theirs the Cheese Store. It’s a tiny spot at the intersection of Where? Blvd and Cant Get There From Here Ave., so we went in and checked it out.
What appears to be a very unassuming from the outside general store, is packing some serious cheese credentials. They have a great selection of cheeses from the Adirondack area and up into Canada, mostly using locally harvested dairy. The staff was super friendly and they had tons of samples, and even a little deli/​hot food counter. We tried a taste of their aged cheddar mac and cheese with cheese curd also. so good. So after a few minutes of talking we find out, our Amish sales lady is married to a Portuguese guy from Westport MA, who would have thought. So after we procured a ton of cheese and shared some tips to making Portuguese Sweet Bread, we hit the road. but can’t wait to stop next time I’m in the area.

This tiny shop sits a little bit down the road from Watertown’s franchise and big box ghetto. It’s a gem that offers local products at reasonable prices. There’s no reason to get butter or cheese at Wal-​Mart when you can get better quality and support the area farmers by getting it here. It’s the same for a variety (not a large variety, but it’s a small place) of other necessities, luxuries, and gifts for friends and relations who aren’t lucky enough to live nearby. Jefferson County has had it’s challenges, but The Cheese Store stands as a living reminder of what is good about this part of the country. (They’d get four stars if the staff were friendly.)