Saxelby Cheesemongers - New York

A trip to New York would not be complete without sampling a few cheeses along the way. One of the best cheese shops for American artisanal cheeses is Saxelby Cheesemongers in the Essex Market. Really friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you pick that perfect cheese. We tried the Grayson from Meadow Creek Dairy in virginia, a pungent cows milk cheese with a buttery flavor perfect on bread, and Weston Wheel from Woodcock farm, a hard salty sheep's cheese delicious for snacking. We also had to pick up a sampling of cheese curds, which are so buttery and deliciously soft.

Saxelby Cheese also offers Day -A-Whey (very clever) weekend excursions during October to cheese making farms in New England. The next and last trip is to Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie on October 26th. www.saxelbycheese.com

Little Branch Bar - New York

(Image from Chowhound)

(Image from Chowhound)

I just returned from a week in New York, so there will definitely be a lot of New York posts in my future! The first of which is Little Branch, a charming Soho speakeasy with delicious vintage cocktails. Traveling downstairs to the lantern lit low ceiling bar is  a trip back in time with wood booths and vintage photographs. Drinks are served by suspender wearing mixologists who chip rectangle ice cubes from blocks of ice to achieve maximum coldness. A menu features custom drinks including delicious hot toddys for those cold nights, but you can also get the basics: a perfectly made martini. Drinks run around $10, not too bad for Manhattan. 

LITTLE BRANCH: 7 pm - 3am 7 days a week. 20 7th Avenue S. NYC 212.929.4360.