Intrigued by the outdoor sign, a peek inside and the wonderful aromas pouring out, I wandered into what turned out to be the totally delightful Ideal Cheese Shop. Noting fabulous cheeses stacked everywhere (250 cheeses from 17 countries), I blurted out: “I can’t buy cheese now, it will have to sit in my bag for the next 3 hours.” Without blinking, James, the cheese monger behind the counter, cheerily treating me like a neighborhood regular, offered a taste instead of their “Piedras de Chocolate” — truly the best and gloriously-biggest-cocoa-dusted-chocolate-covered almond (turns out from Spain) I’ve ever had the pleasure to pop into my mouth. Too good. Too fine. Definitely, not to sweet. In other words, just perfect. I figure if I eat one-a-day for the next week, they’ll barely add to my calorie count but they’ll totally add to my pleasure.
One more reason to love New York City:
Ideal Cheese Shop
942 First Avenue at 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
212-688-7579
800.382.0109
Shipping anywhere in the U.S.
Fax: 212-223-1245
www.idealcheese.com
