Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Murray via Pexels.
Wednesday, Jan. 20, is National Cheese Lovers Day, and to celebrate we’ve found some of the best restaurants and stores that will have all of the cheese anyone could desire.
These businesses are struggling due to the pandemic, so shopping at these stores actually helps them more than ever.
Nicole’s Market and Cafe at 921 Meridian Ave. Unit B in South Pasadena is a bustling cafe with outdoor seating for light fare and drinks, plus a gourmet food market including cheeses of every kind. They’re open to take your take-out and no-contact delivery orders from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. all week, except Monday and Tuesday this week. Call (626) 403-5751 to order, or visit www.nicolesgourmetfoods.com.
Melt It at 105 N. Hill Ave., #103, in Pasadena, offers the perfect grilled cheese sandwich and other sweet and savory grilled cheese creations. They accept orders for take-out and no-contact delivery from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (626) 793-7002 for operating hours on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, or visit www.agrilledcheeseco.com.
Miss Cheese Tea Cafe, 238 S. Arroyo Parkway, #110, in Pasadena, is open to accept takeout and delivery orders from noon to 9:30 p.m., and noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Call (917) 519-9977 for more information.
At the Pasadena Farmers Market, either at Villa Parke or Victory Park, find good quality chess and dairy products. A good suggestion to check out is Raw Farm USA, which used to be Organic Pastures. Their original, jalapeno and rosemary cheeses are made of raw whole milk, vegetable rennet, cultures, kosher sea salt, 100 percent organic chili powder, jalapeño or air-dried green jalapeño peppers, and 100 percent organic rosemary leaf powder. Check them out at www.rawfarmusa.com.
The farmers market at Villa Parke is open Tuesday mornings, and the Victory Park market is open each Saturday morning with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Armen Market, 1873 Allen Ave., Pasadena, has an Incredible deli department with a huge selection of meats and cheeses. It’s open for in-store shopping from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (626) 794-2999 or visit www.armenmarket.com for more information.
Roma Market is located at 918 N. Lake Ave. There you can order different kinds of Italian cold cuts and hard-to-find cheeses to make sandwiches at home. They’re open for in-store shopping and delivery from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (626) 797-7748 for more information.
Pasadena Sandwich Co. at 259 Sierra Madre Villa Ave., Ste 102, is open for take-out and delivery from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Order Swiss and cheddar cheeses to go with other sandwich ingredients, such as corned beef, turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, mustard, Russian dressing, and rye bread. Call (626) 578-1616 for more information.
Good quality cheeses are also available at We Olive and Wine Bar at 32 E. Colorado Blvd. They’re closed on Monday, MLK Day, and on Thursday and Friday, but open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Order from a selection of cheeses, warmed bread, artisan spreads, We Olive mustards, and accouterments, as well as local wines. For more information, call (626) 787-1000 or visit www.weolive.com/pasadena.
Milkfarm is an artisan cheese shop that carries hundreds of international, domestic, and award-winning cheeses. Much of their selection rotates based on availability and season. Located at 2106 Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock, it’s about a 10-minute drive from Pasadena. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call (323) 892-1068.
It’s a sad thing that the Cheese Store of Pasadena, 140 S Lake Ave., is now closed permanently. It used to be one of the best cheese shops in the area and featured an extensive selection of cheeses from around the world.
But if you’re looking for a cheese-only shop nearby, plus some good baked products, the La Cañada Cheese Shop at 521 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada Flintridge is open for contactless delivery within seven miles of La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818)497-1431 or visit www.lccheeseshop.com for more information.
