mmmm Cheeeeese

(This is the third post in a series about places I went in NYC over the Holiday Break).

I have always been a big fan of cheese.  I blame my father for this.  He took me on a wine-tour-bicycling trip of Burgundy region of the France when I was twelve years old, and I was sold.  I was the only child on the trip (my dad was overly confident in my athletic abilities even then), and at that point in my life I still thought wine was gross.  So, upon arriving at vineyards and wine shops, I would wander to the village cheese cart and get myself something. The cheese in France is phenomenal. There are no laws in France requiring milk products to be pasteurized.  This allows the cheese to retain its flavor because its bacteria is not killed off like it is in the United States.  In general, when food is processed to have a longer shelf life, flavor is lost. But I digress...

Since then, I've always liked cheese a lot and I shy away from processed slices, and am always excited to find something new to try.  Other than Whole Foods, I hadn't been anywhere in New York City that sold great cheese. This all changed when I went to my co-worker and friend Yana's birthday party a few months ago.  She ordered a few platters from Murray's Cheese Shop on Bleecker Street (very smart move on her part), which threw me into a fit of ecstasy for the evening.  The platter had  great prosciutto as well.  I think I ate enough of it to make my stuffed pig feel threatened.

Of course, from this point forward I felt strongly compelled to visit this cheese shop. I mentioned the cheese to Jon after the party, and he told me that the shop not only sold great cheese, but he often visited Murray's for their cheese sandwiches as well.  So, I coaxed Amy and Erik (ok, so maybe "coax" is not the right word here. They were totally into the idea too...) into visiting the shop on Sunday afternoon for sandwiches. 

Erik got a "Murray's Cheese" sandwich, Amy had the same with an egg on top, and I had the same as Amy with prosciutto on top of the egg.  It was pretty messy, but heavenly.  Each ingredient in the sandwich was top-notch, and the combination made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  I cannot wait to go back and try another sandwich.  The shop itself is neat--in the front of the shop there is a place to order sandwiches to-go, and in the back there is an immense selection of cheese and meats.  They have a 'taste anything' policy, so customers can test out what they're getting before they purchase.  The staff is friendly, and the prices are not ridiculous.  They also offer cheese tasting classes (if anyone wants to get me a gift, this would be a good one.)

Suggestions: If you are walking around the West Village and want a sandwich, or if you're hosting a party and want to make it classy (and want your guests to REALLY enjoy themselves), go to Murray's. 

Visit http://www.murrayscheese.com to see their stellar selection.