6 Cheese Shops of Long Island East End

The East End of Long Island, comprising five eastern towns of Suffolk County, Riverhead, Southampton, Southold, Shelter Island, and East Hampton, has long maintained a strong agricultural identity. Over the years, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, seafood, duck, and most recently wine have all been produced in the region. However, save for a dairy or two, cheese production has not taken off as it has in neighboring New England States. But cheese lovers need not despair, as a number of great cheese shops have populated the landscape. We’ll focus here on those shops located in the Eastern half of the island, charming village locations that mesh perfectly with the relaxed country feel of the area, while offering the sophistication of the best urban fromageries.

Cavaniola's Gourmet

Sag Harbor

Owner Michael Cavaniola and assistant at Cavaniola's Cheese

Located in the heart of Sag Harbor, Cavinolas Cheese has served the residents of this early-American New England styled seaside village with the finest in cheese and specialty foods since 2004. Salamis and cured meats suspended above the service counter conjure up a comforting feeling of days gone by. Not surprising, as owner Michael Cavaniola grew up in the cheese and specialty food business, packing out groceries as a teenager after school at his parents' shop in New Jersey.

His extensive cheese knowledge and dedication to quality is immediately evident in the shop's carefully curated and impeccably presented selections. Their offerings are a veritable tour de force of the world's great cheeses, with an emphasis on quality imported products. Everything is in peak condition and artfully displayed, served up by an experienced and passionate staff , many of which have been there since opening day.

Amongst the cheeses displayed on the counter the day of my visit were Bethmale Chevre, Montgomery’s Cheddar, and Brie Fermier Tremblaye. A gracious and highly experienced professional , Michael, who spent his young adult years as a Manhattan architect before returning to the cheese and specialty foods world, designed and built the stately wooden shelving unit that spans an entire wall of the store. In addition to pastas and and other pantry staples you’ll find an array of interesting jams, spreads, imported tinned seafood, honeys, crackers, and just about anything else you could imagine to accompany your cheese selections. They also maintain a production kitchen that turns out a full line of catering including sandwiches, composed salads , lobster salad, platters of sliced beef fillet, and everything in between. And if that weren't enough, they’ve installed a 24-hour self-service cheese vending machine right next door, which is a big hit with the late night summer vacation crowd. Did someone say “wine”?You’ll find a vast selection right next door at their well stocked shop in the historic Umbrella House, the oldest building in Sag Harbor. A must stop if you are in the area, you can also pick up your wares at their Amagansett location should you find yourself in the greater Montauk area.

The Village Cheese Shop

Mattituck

Village Cheese Shop manager Raven holding a wedge of Alp Blossom

Tucked away on Love Lane in North Fork Wine Country community of Mattituck is the region's oldest and longest running cheese shop. A Long Island institution since 2001, owner Michael Affatato acquired the shop some years later, having spent many years in France working in the wine industry. He brings that experience and a passion for the French casual wine and cheese based apéro lifestyle to his well-loved cheese emporium. The unpretentious and welcoming shop will leave you feeling as if you stepped into a village fromagerie in the French countryside. One can enjoy Mr. Affatato’s fine wine selections either in store with a cheese plate or take it to go. Their seemingly endless cheese case spanning the length of the store is packed with an impressive display of American farmstead classics and wide selection of imported gems including the often overlooked (these days anyway) Pont L’ Eveque from the Calvados départment of France’s verdant Normandy region, and the uniquely delicious Kassfort Sangles. Shop manager Raven explained that this was a Dutch cheese with a decidedly French upbringing. Produced from the thermized milk of Montebéliarde cows this savory wheel is wrapped in spruce bark and aged in a former army barracks, a nod to the cheese production and aging methods of the cheese of France’s Jura region.

The shop also offers a wide array of charcuterie items, pates, olives and other cheeseboard accessories, and will make you a delicious jambon beurre or a great cup of coffee for that mid afternoon pick me up. They proudly offer the loaves of local rising star 1610 So u rdough, as well as locally-sourced farm fresh eggs. They are abundantly provisioned with local and imported jams, fine olive oils, vinegars, mustards and just about anything else you can imagine for your gourmet pantry needs. On the day of my visit, a Tuesday by the way, the kitchen was preparing no less than four cheeseboards for pickup by local customers entertaining summer guests. In addition to catering platters they also specialize in custom gift baskets. No surprise that Long Islanders both near and far have come to count on The Village Cheese Shop to consistently come through for their cheese and entertaining needs.

Mill Road Cheese Shop

Westhampton Beach

A relative newcomer on the cheese landscape, Mill Road Cheese Shop has the lockdown on the cheese needs of the Westhampton Beach locals and summer vacationers. Their program includes a variety of imported and domestic classics such as Vermont Creamery’s Bijou and Corsican Brin D’Amour. Their friendly staff was hard at work cutting portions and preparing a selection of sandwiches for the local lunch crowd, served on artisan bread and packed with delicious cheeses, meats and accompaniments. The shop offers an impressive selection of charcuterie, such as Cured Duck Salami from Fabrique Delices, Brooklyn Cured’s Tuscan Red Wine Beef Salami , and Jamón Ibérico. A full complement of crackers, sweet and savory cheese condiments, dried fruit ,nuts and tasty goodies such José Andrés Potato Chips are always on hand, and they are well stocked with cheese serving boards and tools. They have an extensive catering menu of cheeseboards including dessert and kosher options, antipasti, and paninis that offer outstanding value and variety.

Cheese and Spice Market

Wading River

Working our way westward and off “the forks” of Long Island, the upscale Shoppes At East Wind in Wading River is the home of Cheese And Spice Market. Arguably the most unique cheese shop I've ever seen, in that their cut to order cheese selections are augmented by a seemingly endless collection of dried spices, artfully lined up on shelves in glass jars occupying an entire wall and available for bulk purchase. Notable cheeses on hand the day of my visit included Tapping Reeve from Arethusa Farm in CT, Nightshade by Tulip Tree Creamery, and the paprika coated Red Witch from Switzerland. Their charcuterie selections are also quality driven, including the stellar cured meats products from Smoking Goose. Cheeseboards and other cheese based catering is available.

Despite their strength in cheese,cured meats and spices , one could make the case that the most compelling component of the store was the seemingly limitless program of specialty shelf stable gourmet items. One would be hard pressed to come up with a shop with a more comprehensive selection of shelf stable retail wares. Dips, spreads, jams, cookies, crackers, chocolates, truffle products, condiments, pickled vegetables, and even the organic coffees of Tend Coffee and Boska Holland housewares; the list goes on and on and one could spend an hour there and not fully take it all in. To that I will add the merchandising was truly spectacular and offered great visual appeal. Cheese And Spice Market truly fills a void for a cheese and gourmet food based destination in the area.

Little Cheese

Stony Brook

Less than one year old, Little Cheese is the newest addition to the upscale shops in The Stony Brook Village Center . They have come out of the gate strong, bringing high quality cheese and a relaxed vibe to the quiet North Shore enclave , formerly deprived of any real cheese presence. The shop is the vision of husband and wife team Krystal and Christopher Abate, both hospitality industry veterans , who have outfitted their tastefully appointed shop with many crowd-pleasers as well as a number of pleasant surprises. Passionate about eating and living in a more sustainable and health conscious manner at home, the Abates have extended that philosophy to providing wholesome and, whenever possible, small production cheeses and other foods to their ever-growing customer base. This is evident in the selections which include Sigit from Mecox Bay Dairy in nearby Bridgehampton, and English Shropshire Blue. Their former restaurant experience is evidenced by their unique cheese based sandwich program which draws largely on higher end cheeses and meats not typically found on sandwiches. Offerings include an Organic Caprese; the Smoky Blue BLT featuring Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue and a generous portion of Niman Ranch Bacon; and The G.O.A.T., which is adorned generously with Cypress Grove Midnight Moon and Salami Cotto from Olympia Provisions, all with complimentary and interesting condiments and served on great breads, including baguettes from Balthazar Bakery. All and all an impressive launch that points to growth and longevity.

Babylon Cheese Cellar

Babylon

One could think of Babylon Village as the gateway to the popular South Fork summer destinations of Southampton, Montauk and Fire Island. And many locals utilize this long standing village shop for their summer weekend getaways and year round entertaining needs. Offering an extensive rotating program of cheeses, charcuterie and catering, Babylon Cheese Cellar has cultivated a loyal following due to the efforts of the husband and wife team of Tiffani and Anthony Latino, who draw on their many years of cheese buying and retail acumen in offering stellar selections at very favorable pricing; no small feat in today's cheese game. Selections from American producers such as Jasper Hill Farm share the stage with rare finds from Monti Trentini in Italy’s Veneto region, A wide variety of cured meats are also on hand including a personal favorite, the Petit Jesu from Salumeria Bielliese The catering menu includes impressive grazing tables that can be custom tailored to fit events of any size. The daily prepared foods menu offers many choices, offering a variety of grilled cheese and cold sandwiches, as well as cheese topped flatbreads. Interesting sandwich choices include The Bay Shore with brie, apples, bacon and onion jam, or the hot pressed Islip featuring Swiss Gruyere, spicy coppa , porchetta and pickles piled high on ciabatta. Wildly popular with the locals are their quiches, baked daily and available on a first come first serve basis, or by pre-order.

Other Long Island Honorable Mentions

Located closer to the Queens border than to wine country, but still technically Long Island, Let It Brie-Rockville Centre and The Cheese Store have been faithfully servicing the needs of their respective hamlets of Rockville Centre and Cedarhurst in Western Nassau County. Both offer a wide array of cheeses and specialty items as well as sandwiches, salads and catering, and have loyal followings within their communities. In addition to the cut to order shops mentioned above, Long Island can boast a number of full line grocers with impressive cheese departments.

In a climate that is not always favorable to small independent food businesses, it's reassuring to know that these shops have maintained and prospered, some for decades. Eastern Long Island is often depicted in the media and film as a haven of relaxed suburban and elegant country living, and that is true to a large extent. But Long Islanders are a busy and often over-scheduled lot, navigating both traffic and busy suburban family lifestyle schedules daily. Yet amidst all that hustle and bustle, they can take comfort in the fact that they are for the most part no more than fifteen minutes away from a great cheese experience.

6 Cheese Shops of Long Island East End

Other Long Island Honorable Mentions

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