Curds and Whey

Don’t bother going here if you want service the people who work here are way to busy to actually help you unless you are willing to yell to get their attention… Hard to park –impossible to get anything resembling friendly service …

All I have to say is… Cheese Mike!!! I make a habit of coming here if I want to take a picnic down to Rockmill Brewery. I tell Mike what kind of beer I’ll likely be drinking, tell him that I’d like a variety of 3 and to go big and choose them for me. Everything he’s given me is DELICIOUS. I’ve never been disappointed. I always mean to remember what I’ve had there, but I never can so it’s a new adventure each time :)

Cute little dairy counter in North Market. I haven’t purchased cheese here yet, but I appreciate the amount of condiments, jams and charcuterie acoutrements they have available. Giant jars of capers, beet pickled eggs… basically a ton of my favorite things that end up being way too hard to find in a typical grocery store.
Service was friendly, looking forward to shopping here again!

Mike was a help to me when I asked him to pair my fresh bread with 2 cheeses. I let him do the selecting after deciding on one hard and one soft. It was a little pricey but I ended up with more cheese than bread so it’s ok.

Tons of options from a very well versed cheese guy. My favorites are the offerings from Ohio’s own, Lake Erie Creamery. It tastes like I have a spiritual connection to the goat who made the cheese. Very fresh.

Their selection of cheese is most certainly enviable by most standards and I certainly don’t see this monger failing in that regard. I’ve come to this store now the better part of 10 occasions and the cheese is in general of a pretty high condition. The owner is manageable and the staff can answer most questions that you might have.
The problem comes to pass when you start thinking about the price. Most recently I purchased Humboldt Fog (A goat cheese with a vegetable ash from Cypress Grove based out of california) and was charged a sold 34.95 per lb. This is most certainly a standout cheese and worthy of a premium, but I think there are two issues with this. The first is that a quick price comparison with Whole Foods (23.99 per lb) notes that that this is a rather significant increase from what you would pay there. The problem is not that there is a markup (as Whole Foods is no doubt able to command a lower quote than Curds and Whey can), but that the markup is nearly 50%. The second problem (and I believe that this is the larger one) is that you have no knowledge of the prices before you actually purchase the item. You are inclined to not ask and should the mark up be just under unbearable you probably will not recant your decision to buy the cheese. The rating then is not so much about the overall quality (which I do note is rather high) but for the holdout in alerting the customer to the price and for the exorbitant markup of the cheese. Enjoy, but be sure to inquire about the price beforehand!

Mike the cheese guy is an incredibly knowledgeable, caring, and nice person. You would be hard pressed to not find what you are looking for here. I don’t buy cheese all that often but when I do I get it from Curds and Whey.

Not just cheese… but a dairy experience!
I love shopping at Curds and Whey because of their winning formula: incredibly friendly and helpful staff, amazingly unique cheeses, and reasonable prices. I usually go to Curds and Whey not having a clue what I really want, but I always walk away with exactly I need! The staff is so helpful and knowledgeable, and they always have fantastic recommendations that never fail!
Today, I bought some fresh goat cheese and soft asiago, and they have made the most delish frittata!

«People love us on Unilocal!» says the cute little sign on their case. Damn right we do.
A personable staff, a great selection, and prices on par with Whole Foods — plus myriad unique products such as organic fig preserves, black water vinegar, and grade A foie gras… if I ever throw a foodie party the cheese plate would be from here.
After a superb meal at Providence earlier this month a specific cheese has been on my mind ever since… though Curds n’ Whey didn’t have it, the saleswoman assured me it could be obtained within a week if I was truly interested.
Cheers Curds & Whey!

This is a great cheese shop. AAMOF, it’s the only one I’m aware of in Columbus. You can buy cheese anywhere but this is the only place you can get advice on cheese. And it’s almost always helpful.

I love this shop. This place brings me back to the North Market over and over. The guys behind the counter are very knowledgeable and super friendly. Everything they have suggested I try has turned out excellent. You can get any amount that you want so the prices aren’t that bad. They also sell items such as olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and others.
This is a must stop in Columbus.

I was in need of a good fontina, and that’s exactly what I told Mike, the guy behind the tall counter at Curds and Whey in the North Market.
‘Welp, I just sold all my fontina to a restaurant. I should have some more in tomorrow.‘
I couldn’t read him. Was he kidding? He reminded me of one of my college English profs.
I glanced at the construction paper pieces taped to the display case, each one labeled with a type of cheese and a short description. ‘You’re kidding, right?
‘Fraid not. But I do have something similar.‘
The something similar began with an M and had a Z in it somewhere… not mozzarella. I’m no cheese head, but obviously, Mike is. I told him I was making a gnocchi recipe and that it was my first time making this particular recipe; it had to turn out good. Mike squinted, gave me a sideways nod, and assured me, this was my cheese.
Now, I sit here, with a full belly. That was a good recipe and a great cheese. A little firmer than I had originally planned for, but salty and nice to cook with. Mike sold me some aged parmesan and tipped me off to a cheese crisp trick. I can’t say the parmesan was the best I’ve ever had, but it was better than average. I’ll be trying the cheese crisp trick in the future to jazz up tomato soup. And I’ll definitely be visiting Mike the next time I have a cheese question.

Much can be made of Curds and Whey’s cheese selection. If you soil your pants a little when you visit Giant Eagle’s cheese section, then strap on the Depends for Curds and Whey. If you want cheese, they’ve got it.
Cheese may be the main draw here, but it is hardly the only item the shop stocks. They have other edible goods including specialty vinegars, imported crackers and other fine eats. Check out this North Market gourmet shop.

Just arrived home with half a pound of Kasseri (gonna make saganaki tonight) and the same of genuine (!!) English Stilton. Curds and Whey rocks! The staff are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, and the selection of cheese is amazing. I’m not a huge fan of North Market, but I love this place. I could spend a LOT of money here.
Edit: The Stilton is PHENOMENAL! At $ 20/​lb, it’s kinda expensive but it is definitely worth every penny. The Kasseri is also good but the Stilton is exceptional.

Huge selection of cheeses and other gourmet-​ish things like vinegars, oils, butter, jellies/​jams. Friendly staff and totally reasonable prices.