City Guide: New York
Murray’s Cheese
Murray's, a shrine to exemplary cheese, stands out on what's become the gastronomic section of Bleecker Street.
In the early 1990s Rob Kaufelt took over Murray Greenberg’s 1940s modest butter and egg shop on a corner in Greenwich Village and transformed it into a Mecca of cheese. That Murray’s Cheese is now located across Bleecker Street in a modern, expansive, well-lit place and has a thriving mail order and wholesale business, a second location in Grand Central Station, outposts in Krogers supermarkets, and a (delicious) cheese-focused restaurant just up the block. One could fear that all the corporate branding, expansion, and uniformed troops of cheesemongers would mean a drop in quality. That’s definitely not the case; Murray’s has retained a quality and great care of their cheeses.
Cheeses are a bit pricier than other shops, but you can be sure they are in top-notch, on point condition, and the mongers are passionate, well-informed, and happy to give you as many tastes as you desire. Here you’ll find cheeses available nowhere else, a credit to their aging facility, or cave, which you can spy through a window in the sidewalk at the shop’s entrance. Kaufelt originally aimed to open a speciality food shop and that’s evident in the well-curated selection of pastas, craft beers and ciders, and other delightful gourmet products which often pair well with cheese.
Bitesee Tip: Are you a cheese nerd? Sign up for a class!
Cato Corner Corner Farm Cheese
- Subway: A,B,C,D,E,F, or M to West 4th Street