Day 889 : Murray's Cheese Bar

Earlier this summer, Murray's went brick and mortar and opened a cheese bar down the block from its original Bleecker Street location -- sleek, clean, and bright when you walk in off the hustling Bleecker Street entrance. There is an extensive offering of cheeses and meats along with a selection of prepared foods under the headings of Spreads, Griddle, Dunk, Bake, Fry, Between Bread, Pasta, Nibble, and Greenmarket.

When you order the cheeses - you can choose your own for $5 a morsel or select three or five cheesemonger choice cheeses. But instead of trying cheeses, we decided to try three different prepared dishes.

From the spread section we got three of their spreads:
Pimento Cheese, a taste of the South composed of Prairie Breeze Cheddar, pimento, and paprika.
Obatdza, a taste of Bavaria composed of Romadur, Vermont Butter and Cheese's Butter, horseradish, and caraway.
Fromage Fort, a taste of France composed Fromager d'Affinois and Bleu d'Auvergne, white wine, and shallots.

I especially loved the fact that the spreads were served with old fashioned knives with the type of spread engraved on them. 

The spreads arrived with a clothbag of crackers, perfect served as a backdrop for the dynamic decadence of each spread. The pimento cheese spread sure tasted like you were in the south - round and rustic, big and bold. I could easily see enjoying this with a beer while watching football. The Obatdza was fragrant and flavorful, aromatic and herbaceous. Great with the crackers and a nice dark German beer. The Fromage Fort was definitely strong and was not for the faint of heart -- this was stinky cheese spread done well. 

Next up from the Griddle section of the menu -- we had grilled halloumi with mint, lemon and olive oil. A classic grilling cheese whose flavor nuances blossom when heated. Although the bright citrus jolt of the lemon was an interesting flavor combination I think the cheese would have been better enjoyed with olive oil and mint. 

Lastly from the Baked section of the menu Enchiladas with salsa verde composed of tomatillo, lioni mozzarella, pickled vegetable slaw and top with a fried egg. Savory and filling. 

Overall - I loved the design touches like the knives and knitted cozies for the handles of the hot pans in classic Murray's colors and the sleekness of the interior. The cheese selection is tremendous, so make sure you go for cheese and wine or a beer. For those who aren't that familiar with the wide variety of Murray's Cheese selection then this is the perfect place to enjoy and expand your cheese horizons with friends, family, or a significant other. 

Murray's Cheese Bar

264 Bleecker Street

NYC