Watch CBS News

Best Artisan Cheese Shops In Chicago

No two cheeses are created equal, especially when they're handcrafted artisan cheeses. Lucky for all the cheese lovers in the city, gourmet grocery shops and cheese shops abound in the Windy City. Whether you're looking for just a taste, or want to create a cheese spread for your next dinner party, these five shops/restaurants will be happy to help you pick out the perfect cheese.

Cheese
(Photo Credit: pastoralartisan.com)

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, & Wine
2945 N. Broadway Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 472-4781
www.pastoralartisan.com

Everything is gourmet in this wonderful artisan grocery shop which makes the perfect accompaniment to your next dinner party. Whether you're looking for chevre, soft cheeses, gouda, soft-ripened, stinky rinds or so, so, so much more. Some come from the U.S., others from Europe. You can have some of them as part of a fresh sandwich (depending on the location), or all on their own delicious selves. Want to send a cheesy gift package? They do that, too.

Publican Quality Meats
825 W. Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 445-8977
www.publicanqualitymeats.com

As the name implies, Paul Kahan's Publican Quality Meats (PQM) has a great big case of meat. But right beside that, along with bread, is a wonderful choice of artisan cheeses. Order some from the case and bring it home to enjoy with some charcuterie and wine, or pull up a seat and order it straight off their menu to enjoy all by itself with the cheese plate. You can try out either one cheese for $6, or three for $16, and it's based on what's on hand. Whichever you pick, you're sure to satisfy your craving.

Cheese
(Photo Credit: Stamper Cheese Company's Facebook)

Stamper Cheese
834 W. Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60686
(503) 799-2149
www.facebook.com/Stamper-Cheese-Company

Stampers may not have a storefront, but they offer the best of the best when it comes to local cheeses straight from southwestern Wisconsin. Stampers sets up shop throughout Chicago during the farmer's market season. Their cheeses range from the kid-friendly string cheese to the gourmet fresh herb jacks. Basically whatever cheese you have a craving for, chances are they'll have it -- at least from May through October.

Related:  Best Wine And Cheese Shops In Chicago

Provenance
2312 W. Leland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 784-2314
www.provenancefoodandwine.com

Not sure which cheeses to get? The cheese experts here are some of the best. But it isn't just the quality of the customer service here that makes this cheese shop worth a visit (time and time again). In addition to picking up some wine, sauces, snacks and more, there's a select -- but incredibly high-quality -- variety of cheeses. Everything can be custom cut, so you can get the perfect mix of cheeses and a smaller cut, if you want, of the more expensive ones. Not sure which to pick? They often, gladly, provide samples.

Marion Street Market
100 S. Marion St.
Chicago, IL 60302
(708) 725-7200
www.marionstreetmarket.com

This market shop is well worth the hop, skip and a jump out to the nearby suburb of Oak Park. While the market also serves a great meal -- whether brunch, lunch or dinner -- they also have a wonderful array of cheeses (and some wine to go with it). With over 100 cheese offerings -- both artisan and farmstead -- on any given week, all are top notch and after tasting them, you'll want them all.... as well as their charcuterie.

Related: Best Bars For Wine Tasting In Chicago

Elizabeth SanFilippo is a freelance writer, who enjoys trying new foods from all over the world. But her favorite city for culinary treats will always be Chicago. When not blogging about food, she's working part-time at a culinary vacation company, The International Kitchen, based in the Windy City, as well as repping Younique cosmetics and skincare products. Some of her writing can be found at Examiner.com.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.