7 LA Spots to Find a Perfectly Curated Cheese and Charcuterie Board
A lot has changed in the last year, but being at home for the majority of 2020 brought us more creative ways to make being at home 24/7 more enjoyable. For my apartment, a well curated charcuterie board was a weekly staple. Paired with a glass of red wine and a round of Tiger King episodes, the mouth-watering pairings of meat, cheese, and crackers made the uncertainty of what was going on outside of our little four walls a little more bearable. And honestly after watching one of Joe Exotic’s right hand people get their arm chomped off by a tiger, anything seemed bearable.
If meats and cheese are your thing and you didn’t know what a charcuterie board was until now, get ready for a party in your mouth. Basically just a fancy name for meat and cheese board, there really is an art to curating one. The actual word charcuterie is derived from the French words for flesh (chair) and cooked (cuit) In 15th-century France, each city had guilds, or local groups of merchants, that regulated tradesmen in the food production industry. The guilds that produced charcuterie were those of the charcutiers. The members of this guild produced a traditional range of cooked or salted and dried meats, which varied, sometimes distinctively, from region to region. Today, you don’t have to be a charcutier to get your hands on one of these tasty boards. Here are the places you can order a charcuterie board in LA.
Milkfarm - Eagle Rock
an Artisan Cheese Shop in Eagle Rock, specializing in selling Artisan cheese, charcuterie, and other handmade food products mostly from Los Angeles based, small and independent producers.
Larchmont Wine & Cheese - Larchmont Village
Family owned and operated, they offer a full deli service including artisan-made cheeses and meats from around the world, as well as imported oils, vinegars, condiments, chocolates, candies, crackers, caviar, chips, authentic sodas in glass bottles, and teas. This spot is no secret so be prepared for some wait to order if you hit the lunch hour.
Say Cheese - Silverlake
Cafe, cheese shop, AND black owned. This spot is the perfect little bistro to grab and go or enjoy their menu in the cafe. You’ll also find rare treats like two year aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, tins of Portuguese smoked sardines, vintage goudas, and anchovy-stuffed pickles.
Tilda - Echo Park
If you’re anything like me, this is a spot you’ll want to stay and enjoy your wine and cheese at. Cozy meets elegant meets perfect color scheme and branding. Complete with a ‘wine window’ (window to order) for sidewalk dining. Closed for the last couple months to help beat the virus, Tilda is reopening sidewalk dining on March 31st! Or if you want to create your own ambience with their food, take their picnic kit, with smoked trout dip, fresh baguettes, cheese, crackers, olives, charcuterie, or tinned fish.
Andrew’s Cheese Shop - Santa Monica
Tucked away on Montana Ave in Santa Monica, the upscale street in the bougie SM neighborhoods, Andrew’s Cheese Shops offers more approachable offerings its surroundings may feel like. Opened in 2008 by seasoned Maitre d’Fromage (basically the sommelier of cheeses) Andrew Steiner, he’s known for his authentic care and love for cheese and the patrons who buy it. You’ll find a wide variety of artisan cheeses, olive oil, wine, and fancy yet reasonably priced grab-and-go sandwiches.
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Originally opened in 1967, it was in 1978 that Norbert Wabnig and his family made the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills what it is today, a Hollywood staple. You’ll find 300-500 different types of cheese, caviar, truffles, and mostly California sourced wines. There are too many places in Beverly Hills that feel unapproachable that frankly, I’d rather stay away from than deal with the feeling Julia Roberts gets in Pretty Woman. The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills is unlike it’s surroundings with a family feel and all the approachability you could ask for in BH.
Another great approachable, family owned cheese shop is DTLA Cheese. Located in Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles, DTLA Cheese is a full-service cut-to-order cheese counter and eatery. You’ll find everything on their menu from hot sandwiches, grab and go sandwiches, cheeseboard gift boxes, and a curate your own board option with several different meat and cheese combos, including olives, cornichons, marcona almonds, membrillo, honeycomb, and dried fruit.