The Bloomy Rind

Awesome place to shop

This is probably my new favorite U.S. cheese shop! Even better is shared space with a great butcher shop so for me it is like heaven. This is one of those places where you want to spend a lot of time. The visuals and the aromas are exciting. Nashville is not my home base and a friend took me here knowing I would be impressed. The owner knows more about cheese than anyone I spend time with and offered us several ideas and samples. If you want it, Kathleen has it. We left with our picks, weighed out and wrapped precisely and had a magical food experience that evening. If I lived in Nashville this would be a weekly stop for me.

Let me be straight: I love the cheeses at Bloomy Rind! But I had family in town and they got a gift card for BR at a dirty santa event. We had to use it before they left so we triple checked the hours and headed over to the east side to pick up some tasty microbes on their way out of town. Not sure what happened, or if it was a fluke or common occurrence, but the owner wasn't there and no one at PRB knew why. PRB said they didn't have the capability to cut and weigh BR cheeses, but we could pick something from the dry shelf or the pre-packaged fridge. All in all we got some goodies to take home, but I have a pet peeve about businesses not adhering to posted hours.

I had a little extra time before meeting some friends for lunch, so I drove down Gallatin Avenue and happened to see the sign for the store. A quick u-turn later and I was inside a real find in Nashville. Sharing space with Porter Meats is a great little one fridge cheese shop selling specialty gourmet organic cheeses. The owner was incredibly knowledgeable about each of her (several dozen) varieties and not only helped me pick out one that I would like (Rush Creek Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company) but explained to me why I would like it, how it was made and what the difference was between it and several other cheese that were similar. She even understood some of the basic rules behind certification of Kosher cheeses, rennet, etc. I bought the cheese as a gift for my father-in-law but I had to taste it before I gave it to him. Big mistake. Now I need to find him something else!

Best cheese around Nashville. The staff is very helpful and they have a great selection. Perfect for a picnic at the winery on a sunny day.

The cheese lady was not there on Tuesday and the butcher who shares the space could not cut the cheese. ( no pun intended) We were limited to precut pieces of cheese and his selection of meats. What we purchased, good thunderr (mild soft cheese) and portaroni (spicey sausage) each tasted good but not together.

Best cheese in Nashville. Don't be in a hurry and ask for recommendations, Kathleen (the owner) is always ready to give you the best advice and samples!

love, Love, LOVE this place. This ship has an amazing selection of cheeses and the staff really know their stuff. I went in having tried some kind of blue cheese from North Carolina at a festival, and that was all I could remember. The lady at the counter was pretty sure she knew what I was looking for and even let me sample several others to complete the plate I was making. This place is a must for cheese lovers. Just a head's up, though. It's not actually its own shop. It's inside the butcher shop and has its own separate small counter space, so be on the look out.

What a wonderful assortment of delicous cheeses. I can not speak highly enough about this place. First, its inside the best butcher shop of Nashville- so it makes it extremely easy to pick up some high quality meats and cheese all in one place. I went in with nothing specific in my mind to purchase, but left with a wonderful variety. The head cheese lady (no pun intended) let me try a few of the recommendations she had and then get as much or as little as I would like. I loved the gouda and all the different soft cheeses (lots made from goat's milk which I love). I will always come here for my cheese needs.

I get hungry just thinking about it. I was walking by, on my way to the Barista Parlor and suddenly a cheese crave came on. Kathleen was just donning her apron as I rolled in. I like my cheese stinky and flavorful. She directed me to Chocolate Lab by Looking Glass Creamery in NC. The name for the cheese comes from its friendly nature (with just a little bit of a bite) and its warm chocolate coating. She allowed me to purchase just a tiny wedge to satisfy my craving. Kathleen looks for farmers and cheesemakers who pasture their animals as much as possible and do not give them synthetic growth hormones. She shares her shop space with Porter Road Butcher- I wish I had had time to check out their delicious local products as well!

I recently had an assortment of cheeses from Bloomy Rind at Josephines (for Father's Day). I have eaten cheeses around the world on my travels - but I have to say the selection was one of the best I have ever tasted - enough to prompt me to make sure the waiter found out where this delicious stuff came from! I miss the fromagia in the 12th Avenue South area (as I do the wine shop there that closed) - but these cheeses are definitely worth the trip to East Nashville or the Charlotte Road location.