Formaggio Essex

Wide selection & knowledgeable staff. They're able to cater to different budgets and we had an enjoyable morning visit here

This is a superb cheese store with lots of gourmet groceries that are also outstanding. The staff are all lovely and the manager / owner once bought me a cup of coffee when he went to get one for himself which took me from a fan to a super fan. The cheese selection is the best in the city and every brand they carry is excellent.

My go-to neighborhood spot for cheese & charcuterie especially when entertaining. Always a vast selection of cheeses, meats & snacks. Been going for 5 years and never had anything but great experiences.

We bought some slices of Fra Salametro picante and manchego and a baguette for our flight and it made for a great lunch. I'm used to getting manchego and salami from Trader Joes. Now I know how different it can be. Of course this is more expensive, but totally worth it. The service was very helpful and personable, not snooty.

Looks great. I haven't stopped by. I can't do cheese. Nordic preserve. Unregular pizza. Indian restaurant opens at 5 pm. Ty

i ask for half a lb of rogue river blue, hope its not the owner, but whoever was working says "you know its going to be about 30$"... racist, classist "cant understand normal thinking" thing to drop on a customer. maybe its because of the neighborhood? i wonder how far they drive to work at that cheese shop to feel that way about someone clearly from the neighborhood. i can get the cheese from somewhere else if thats what formaggio essex wants. apologies, didnt realize there was a owner response until today. assumptions are a well trod thing with many sayings to go with it. its very clear to many that essex market is somewhat gated. being of the neighborhood i can say definitively that people looking for cheese from a limited generally classed variety pegged to a maximum cost wont be buying cheese from a case with names they wouldnt be able to pronounce, much less outside of a supermarket. i appreciate the offer of the generous sample and to meet with an authorized agent+ but ive surrendered to the notion avoiding the probable result of self inflicted disappointment in dealing with new people outside of quality proven establishments i built relationships with over the decades. sorry to say that i am one of the few that think gentrification in terms of businesses is great and something i want as a resident in this neighborhood but it is thrown in with gentrification of residences which any person can see has netted negative results for long time residents causing the new incarnation of essex market to perform poorly. i was dealing with the butcher from harlem , harlem shambles? before they left from lack of patronage, ends meat which the owner john was willing to put his own time in in finding many of the workers hired were trash, forced out from the basement being repurposed, etc even josephines isnt there anymore for their great strawberry rhubarb... ive hated the idea of the new essex market but def am trying.. i used to deal with who became the wife of heritage (meats?), her cheese shop in essex market, forget the names. i could accept that the worker is protecting your interests absolutely but this is a zone where people dressed much less than formal frequent michelin starred establishments regularly, like me, that dont have a stated dress code. i am not going to diminish how i choose dress to validate the treatment. how often has someone requested cheese they couldnt pronounce to indignantly refuse to complete purchase upon hearing the cost causing an actual loss? ive seen boutique cheese shops with high ticket cheese cut and wrapped, not saying that its something you need to do.

The olives I bought from this place were completely open and leaked, ripping a hole and spilling my items all over the disgusting street as I walked. Getting olive juice all over my paper wrapped cheese, cracking the $$$ honey I just bought, and ruining my night.

Would probably be a fine experience as long as you don’t ask for recommendations. By the third cheese, it was clear they had no idea what I was asking for and I just bought a cheese (even though it was not even close to what I was looking for) so the experience could be over. Would go to the vegan cheese shop over this one any day.