Cheese is delicious. It therefore stands that a place which makes its own delicious cheese is okay in my book. Pair that handmade cheese with a full dinner menu, a lounge atmosphere and booze, and well, that figurative book is a bestseller. [Note to any literary agents, editors, publishers and publicists out there - my sound logic regarding bestsellers indicates you should just go ahead and accept my manuscript when I one day (ahem, first write and then) submit it to you].
The main level of Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a factory/store/cafe like its original location in Seattle's Pike Place Market, but the 21-and-over section downstairs (The Cellar) is where the nighttime action goes down. This fairly industrial space of concrete, brick, stone and exposed pipes manages to feel cozy thanks to its dim lighting, quirky art and mix of furniture. Young professionals mingle at the bar, on leather armchairs, on banquettes upholstered with animal hair and on cushioned benches - the base of which are part of the building's foundation. From these several vantage points, one can see Beecher's Flatiron cheese aging behind a glass wall at the side of the room. One can also see intoxicated women flirting with the bartender, but that's not unique to The Cellar.
The menu unsurprisingly includes cheese and charcuterie plates, but an appetizer of fresh cheese curds and several mac and cheese entrees make the cut as well. One mac and cheese is touted as the "world's best," and when asked who made the claim, the waiter said, "The owner...and Oprah." Well then, it must be true.
If there are any lactose-intolerant readers who made it this far through the post, you'll be happy to know The Cellar offers cheese-free options as well. These include spicy rapini, gazpacho, beef short ribs and pate. Oh, it's just me and 86-year-old French men who like pate? That's cool.
The portion sizes are generous, and prices are moderate, but if you head over during the 5pm-7pm happy hour, a variety of full-size dishes are available at half the cost. There are also deals on wine and cocktails, but I just want to make sure my non-existent elderly French companions know where to score a decent early bird special.
So head over to The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese with the Brooklynite who only wants to meet near Union Square, with your girls who get a little too loud after several glasses of wine or with your boys who like girls who drink a little too much. Maybe they can score points by dropping that bit of Oprah knowledge. More effectively, they could just buy another round of drinks.
The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese - 900 Broadway, at East 20th Street
The main level of Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a factory/store/cafe like its original location in Seattle's Pike Place Market, but the 21-and-over section downstairs (The Cellar) is where the nighttime action goes down. This fairly industrial space of concrete, brick, stone and exposed pipes manages to feel cozy thanks to its dim lighting, quirky art and mix of furniture. Young professionals mingle at the bar, on leather armchairs, on banquettes upholstered with animal hair and on cushioned benches - the base of which are part of the building's foundation. From these several vantage points, one can see Beecher's Flatiron cheese aging behind a glass wall at the side of the room. One can also see intoxicated women flirting with the bartender, but that's not unique to The Cellar.
The menu unsurprisingly includes cheese and charcuterie plates, but an appetizer of fresh cheese curds and several mac and cheese entrees make the cut as well. One mac and cheese is touted as the "world's best," and when asked who made the claim, the waiter said, "The owner...and Oprah." Well then, it must be true.
If there are any lactose-intolerant readers who made it this far through the post, you'll be happy to know The Cellar offers cheese-free options as well. These include spicy rapini, gazpacho, beef short ribs and pate. Oh, it's just me and 86-year-old French men who like pate? That's cool.
The portion sizes are generous, and prices are moderate, but if you head over during the 5pm-7pm happy hour, a variety of full-size dishes are available at half the cost. There are also deals on wine and cocktails, but I just want to make sure my non-existent elderly French companions know where to score a decent early bird special.
So head over to The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese with the Brooklynite who only wants to meet near Union Square, with your girls who get a little too loud after several glasses of wine or with your boys who like girls who drink a little too much. Maybe they can score points by dropping that bit of Oprah knowledge. More effectively, they could just buy another round of drinks.
The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese - 900 Broadway, at East 20th Street
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