Casellula

401 West 52 Street

(between Ninth and Tenth Avenues)

www.casellula.com

Best cheese and wine bar in NYC!!!

Order your wine, and then just put the fate of your meal in the hands of Casellula’s fromager.

I normally would not order a white wine—as I tend to think reds accompany cheeses better—but decided to ask the server to recommend one since I didn’t wish to be sleepy or too full as it was just the start of my evening.

After listening to our preference for reds, but wanting to experiment with a white he recommended the Kabaj, a Rebula from Slovenia—a heavier white wine.

The “back” story of the winemaker appears on the back of the bottle.

As we had decided to go with a bottle that was not offered as a wine by the glass, we were unable to get a tasting before ordering. So we basically put our trust in the server’s opinion of what we would like.

And, boy, was I wrong in my assumption that white wines don’t go well with cheeses! First, the color of the wine was dazzling. Against the city lights, it glittered like copper gold or amber. And it tasted like marmalade!

Once the wine is selected, the fromager takes a sip and then comes up with the perfect cheese flight.

The selected cheeses are then presented beautifully, with condiments on the side. The condiments are what make the meal such a unique and special experience.

Helpful Hint: Combine the cheese with its accompanying condiment, and then have a sip of wine. Pure joy!!

Two of the cheeses were not even on the menu! I believe the first cheese from the top was a Brillat from France. Favorite was the Ardrahan (second from top)—a pasteurized cow from Cork, Ireland, described as “Stinky. Intense. Oozy.” on the menu. It was accompanied with a fig spread. The other identified cheese was the Beenleigh Blue (fourth from top)—a pasteurized sheep from Devon, England. It’s described as “Crumbly. Fruity. Vanilla notes.” The third cheese from the top was from Spain.

We then decided to have the fromager select two additional cheeses for us, since we were still not finished drinking our wine. Again, the cheese plate came with a lovely pairing of condiments—who would think a cheese would go well with a deep-fried orange slice?!?

Cannot recall the name of the top cheese (think it was from France), but the second cheese was Garrotxa—a pasteurized goat from Spain—described as “Earthy. Sweet. Nutty.” It came with dried, pineapple strips. And it was delicious.

 

We also had an order of chistorras. Hot and spicy!

As well as an order of campo secco salami, which was selected by the fromager. The salami was rather a disappointment as it seemed so banal after a meal of such delightful surprises.

 

Pros:

Service: Excellent and knowledgeable.

Wine and cheese list: Extensive. And as noted, they may even surprise you with cheeses not even listed on the menu.

 

Cons:

Opens at 5 p.m.

Restroom is rather small.

Final Thoughts

If you are a cheese-and-wine lover, go! It is an experience that cannot be missed.