The Cheese Shop on Park

Because life is too short for supermarket cheese!

If you ever are on vacation in Orlando, Florida, and you love cheese, then you need to stop in at The Cheese Shop on Park - located approximately 15 minutes outside of downtown Orlando in Winter Park, Florida.  Owned and operated since 2008 by Kirsten and Alan (a.k.a The Cheese Monger), The Cheese Shop on Park offers over 80 types of local and imported artisan cheeses as well as meats, beers, wine and locally made chutney, jams and relish. 

Hard Cheese Case, courtesy of The Cheese Shop on Park

On a recent visit, Kirsten and Alan had just received some new cheeses from Oregon and we were  delighted when they offered us a tasting.  The cheese was surprisingly mild and creamy.  After the tasting, we decided to order the Cheese Monger Favourites plate off the Cheese Plates Menu (the shop also offers a Lunch Menu of sandwiches and salads) which included four different types of cheeses, three types of artisan crackers, a side of olives and a small side of locally made relish.


Cheese Monger Favourites plate

So, what cheeses were on our Cheese Monger Favourites plate?

Saint Andre (nearest to relish) - Cow France - This is a soft cheese that looks a bit like whipped butter and tastes a little buttery as well.  We enjoyed it with the thicker crackers.

Manchego - Sheep Spain - You probably already know this firm, dry cheese which has a nutty flavor with a hint of pepper.

Grafton Classic - Cow USA - This is an aged, Vermont cheddar and we always enjoy the cheddars out of Vermont.

The last cheese was supposed to be Drunken Goat, a goat cheese from Spain however it is so popular, it was out of stock when we were there.  Unfortunately, we cannot remember what cheese was substituted for the Drunken Goat but we can tell you, it was delicious as well.

And let us tell you about the relish which was surprisingly sweet with a little heat!  It was Nita P's Original Sweet Mustard Relish that is made locally in St. Augustine, Florida.  We enjoyed it so much, we bought a jar of it at The Cheese Shop to take home.  It was a great accompaniment to the cheeses on our plate.

We highly recommend stopping in at The Cheese Shop on Park if you are ever in town for either a light lunch, a cheese plate snack or to purchase the many locally made chutneys, jams and relishes.  If you "dine-in", you can sit inside the shop or outside at cafe tables - and if you are outside, the shop is dog-friendly!  You can also purchase all the cheeses, meats, beers and wines to take home with you as well for a delicious souvenir. 

Sitting outside at The Cheese Shop on Park, Winter Park, FL

When you stop in, be sure to say "Hello" to Kirsten and Alan for us!