What: Murray's Cheese
When: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sunday 9am-7pm
Where: 254 Bleecker St
Honeys Heart: Cambozola Black Blue Cheese & Maple Cream
Friday after my data center event had wrapped, and Sarah was done at NYU, we met up, planning to head north to the American Folk Art Museum. Sarah however, had a detour in mind, and I am glad she did!
She has been meaning to hit up Murray's Cheese Bar for a beer ice cream float since last summer and it was time to make it happen (it isn't everyday that I'm in NYC and Sarah has a Summer Friday at work!). We weren't aware that Murray's Cheese and Murray's Cheese Bar have separate entrances, so we wondered around the shop on Bleecker Street first. Like all excellent specialty stores, there were samples and we were able to try a few pieces of the cambozola black blue cheese with a maple cream. The blue cheese was subtle and the pairing was perfect. And the best part, it was very well priced! The nice gentlemen (and by nice I mean the most incredible cheese sample dispenser ever who let us have unlimited tastes of cheese and maple cream!) manning the samples let us know that Murray's has the best pricing he's seen for this cheese; better than Whole Foods and Fairway.
When: Weekend Brunch 10am-5pm, Tues-Fri Lunch 12-5pm, Sun-Tues Dinner 5-10pm, Wed-Sat Dinner 5-12am
Where: 264 Bleecker St (between Leroy and Morton) New York
Honeys Heart: Mac & Cheese
After a satisfying detour we headed three doors down to Murray's Cheese Bar 3 and sat at the bar.
Sarah ordered the Beer Float ($15) with a craft stout and Murray's homemade cheese ice cream. The ricotta-esque flavor of the ice cream melted into the beer making a creamy beer-shake-like delight. Chocolaty, creamy and ever so alcoholic. Worth the wait? Yes. Worth $15? It was a little pricey, but it's a treat, not an every day drink.
I hadn't had lunch and also I was at a cheese bar with Mac & Cheese ($12) on the menu so clearly I had to order it.
I love mac and cheese. It is a total comfort food that reminds me of childhood forts, great nights with close friends, and I simply love cheese- so melted cheese on carbs? Yes. Not the healthiest I'll admit, but so good. But sometimes it misses the mark. It's either not hot enough, not great cheese, not smooth, or over "fancified," and I end up ultimately disappointed. Not at Murray's.
The cheese was "piping hot" and so creamy (I have no other words to describe cheese apparently.) They gave us forks but the dish also came with a spoon to scoop up the melted cheese that oozed between the noodles. On top were breadcrumbs and some cheese that had become crispy on the edges. Equally as awesome as the melted cheese beneath.
This will be a hard one to beat.
