Top Spots to Celebrate National Cheese Day

National Cheese Lover's Day is celebrated annually on January 20th. From artisanal cheese shops to specialty restaurants, venues nationwide mark this day with special tastings, unique pairings, and cheese-focused events.
While Americans consume an average of 40 pounds of cheese per year, this day encourages exploration beyond familiar varieties. Cheese lovers can discover new flavors, learn about aging processes, and experience different serving traditions - from melted raclette to carefully curated cheese boards.

Here is a selection of restaurants where cheese takes center stage:

Amélie at 22 W 8th St in New York operates as a French wine bar with 45 seats. The venue offers 70 wines by the glass and serves traditional French bistro dishes. Their cheese menu includes French imported varieties with daily selection of 3 or 5 cheeses.

Highlights:
Cheese Board: Three or five French cheeses with baguette
French Onion Soup: Made with melted Gruyère
Baked Brie: Served with honey and baguette
Croque Monsieur: Ham and Gruyère sandwich
Cheese & Charcuterie Plate: French cheeses with cured meats

Recommendations:
Happy hour runs 5-6:30 PM Tuesday-Sunday with $2 off cheese plates and select wines. Weekend reservations needed. Cheese boards available in 3 ($21) or 5 ($32) cheese portions.

Beautiful Rind in Chicago's Logan Square operates as both a retail cheese shop and cafe since 2020. The 1,200-square-foot space features a temperature-controlled cheese cave storing over 75 different cheeses from American and European producers. Owner Randall Felts, certified by the American Cheese Society, curates seasonal cheese collections. For National Cheese Lover's Day, they host an annual tasting event featuring rare aged cheeses paired with local craft beers.

Highlights:

    Aged Cheddar: A rich and sharp cheese with a crumbly texture, often aged for several months to develop deep flavors. Perfect for pairing with fruits and nuts.
    Brie: A soft, creamy cheese with a delicate rind. It has a mild, buttery flavor that pairs beautifully with crusty bread and sweet jams.
    Gorgonzola: A blue cheese with a bold and tangy flavor profile. Its creamy texture makes it ideal for spreading on crackers or incorporating into salads.
    Comté: A French cheese that is nutty and slightly sweet, often aged for several months. It works well on cheese boards or melted in dishes.
    Manchego: A Spanish sheep's milk cheese that is firm and buttery with a slightly nutty flavor. It pairs well with quince paste and cured meats.

    Goat Cheese: Creamy and tangy, goat cheese can be served fresh or aged, often topped with herbs or spices.
    Gruyère: A Swiss cheese known for its rich, nutty flavor, often used in fondues or enjoyed on its own.
    Humboldt Fog: A unique goat cheese with a distinctive line of edible ash, offering a creamy texture and earthy flavor.

Recommendations:
Thursday nights feature half-price cheese boards. Raclette service available Friday-Sunday only. Monthly cheese subscription includes three curated cheeses ($45). Shop early for best selection of daily cut-to-order cheeses.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese, located in Seattle's Pike Place Market, produces cheese daily in their cheese kitchen. The plant produces their signature Flagship cheese, aged for 15 months, as well as 6 other varieties. The company uses milk from local dairy farms within a 15-mile radius and has a cheese aging cellar under the store. 

Highlights:
Flagship Reserve Cheese: 15-month aged cheddar-gruyere blend
"World's Best" Mac & Cheese: Made with Flagship and Just Jack cheeses
Fresh Cheese Curds: Made daily, plain and garlic flavored
Marco Polo Cheese: Flagship with green and black peppercorns
No Woman Cheese: Flagship infused with Jamaican jerk spices
Cheese & Curd Flight: Four house-made cheeses with accompaniments
Fresh Mozzarella: Made hourly, served warm

Recommendations:
Start with fresh curds while watching cheese being made through the window. Pair Flagship Reserve with their house-made crackers and fig preserve. Mac & Cheese best ordered with extra cheese topping and breadcrumbs. Take home vacuum-sealed Flagship cheese - stays fresh for 6 months. Cheese making observation best between 11am-4pm daily.

Photo Credit: facebook.com/beecherscheese/

Scardello Artisan Cheese in Dallas operates as both a cheese shop and tasting room. The shop stocks over 150 handcrafted cheeses. Owner Rich Rogers, an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, conducts weekly cheese education classes. The shop maintains three different temperature-controlled aging rooms for proper cheese storage. On National Cheese Lover's Day, they offer free tastings of rare American artisanal cheeses.

Highlights:
Texas Cheese Board: Selection of local Texas-made cheeses
House-Aged Comte: 24-month aged French cheese
Blue Cheese Flight: Four different blues with honey
Alpine Cheese Board: Swiss and French mountain cheeses
Burrata Bar: Fresh burrata with seasonal accompaniments
Raclette Plate: Melted raclette over potatoes and cornichons
Custom Cut-to-Order Cheese: Any cheese cut fresh to desired weight

Recommendations:
Thursday night cheese classes require advance booking ($40/person). Raclette served only Friday-Sunday. For takeout, try their Cheese Survival Kit with three cheeses, crackers, and preserves ($45). Best selection of fresh-cut cheese available early morning. Monthly cheese club membership includes three cheeses ($65).

Photo Credit: facebook.com/ScardelloCheese/

The Melting Pot in Midtown Atlanta is part of the national fondue restaurant chain operating since 1975. The two-story location features private dining rooms and wine cellar. Their cheese fondue preparation happens tableside with aged cheeses. The restaurant serves four cheese fondue bases that can be customized with different add-ins and spice levels.

Highlights:
Classic Alpine Fondue: Gruyère, Raclette, and white wine
Wisconsin Cheddar Fondue: Sharp cheddar and Emmenthaler blend
Spinach Artichoke Fondue: Five cheeses with vegetables
Quattro Formaggio: Blend of four Italian cheeses
Traditional Swiss Fondue: Gruyère, Swiss, white wine, garlic
Classic Alpine Fondue: Aged Gruyère with white wine and kirsch

Recommendations:
Endless Fondue Thursdays offers unlimited cheese fondue ($22.95 per person). Four-course experience starts with cheese fondue, followed by salad, entrée, and chocolate fondue. Best to book two hours for full fondue dining experience. Each cheese fondue serves 2-4 people. Gluten-free dippers available upon request.

Rise Soufflé in Dallas, opened in 2008, specializes exclusively in soufflés. The 92-seat restaurant, designed to resemble a French countryside cottage, features an open kitchen where diners can watch soufflés being prepared. Owner Hedda Dowd collaborated with French chef Gérard Thabuis to develop their soufflé recipes.

Highlights:
Cheese Soufflé: Classic Gruyère recipe served with béchamel
Ham and Gruyère Soufflé: Double-baked with aged cheese
Four Cheese Soufflé: Gruyère, Parmesan, Asiago, and white cheddar
Blue Cheese Soufflé: Made with French Roquefort
Goat Cheese Soufflé: Fresh chèvre with herbs
Southwest Cheese Soufflé: Sharp cheddar with poblano peppers
Truffle-Infused Cheese Soufflé: Seasonal specialty with black truffle

Recommendations:
Soufflés take 20 minutes to prepare. Order dessert soufflé when ordering main course. Lunch service offers $19 prix-fixe with soup and cheese soufflé. Wednesday wine nights feature half-price bottles with soufflé orders. Restaurant serves limited number of soufflés daily.

The Cheese Course in Pinecrest operates as both retail cheese shop and café. The store displays over 90 varieties of cheese in temperature-controlled cases. Each cheese comes with detailed origin information and suggested wine pairings. The shop receives weekly cheese deliveries from American and European producers. Their cheese mongers complete annual training with the American Cheese Society.

Highlights:
European Cheese Board: Selection of 5 traditional cheeses
Fresh Mozzarella Plate: House-pulled mozzarella with tomatoes
Aged Cheese Flight: Three 18+ month aged cheeses
French Cheese Board: Five AOC-certified French cheeses
Artisanal Grilled Cheese: Daily selection of three cheeses
Baked Brie en Croute: Whole brie wrapped in puff pastry
Custom Cheese Plates: Choose any 3, 5, or 7 cheeses

Recommendations:
Cheese cases freshly stocked each morning. Tuesday tasting classes ($35) include wine pairings. Cheese boards include fresh bread and accompaniments. Best selection early in day. Take advantage of cut-to-order service for exact portions needed.

Photo Credit: instagram.com/thecheesecourse/

So Damn Gouda Cheese features more than 80 rotating cheeses. Owners Beth and James host monthly virtual cheese tastings and maintain direct relationships with Colorado dairy farms. To celebrate National Cheese Lover's Day, they offer specials featuring American cheese paired with craft beer.

Highlights:
Colorado Cheese Board: Selection of local mountain cheeses
Alpine Cheese Flight: Three aged mountain-style cheeses
House Raclette Plate: Melted raclette with potatoes
Custom Cheese Board: Choose 3-7 cheeses with accompaniments
Grilled Cheese: Monthly rotating three-cheese blend
Fondue Kit: Ready-to-heat cheese blend with dippers
Cheese of the Month: Featured rare or limited cheese

Recommendations:
Monthly cheese club includes three cheeses ($55). Raclette service available weekends only. Pre-order cheese boards 24 hours ahead. Shop offers 10% discount on whole cheese wheels. Best cheese selection available Wednesday after new deliveries.

Cheesetique in Alexandria holds the largest cheese collection in Northern Virginia (300+ varieties). The store-restaurant has a patented cheese classification system based on flavor profiles. Owner Jill Erber created unique "Cheese & Wine 101" - ongoing educational program for customers. The venue features a dedicated 400-square-foot tasting room.

Highlights:
Signature Cheese Board: Five cheeses from five different countries
Blown Away Blue: Tasting set of blue cheeses
Cheese & Charcuterie Tower: Three-tier presentation
Mac & Cheese Au Gratin: Baked with cheese crust
Aged Cheddar Collection: Different age profiles
Artisan Cheese Plate: Small-batch farmstead cheeses

Recommendations:
Cheese & Wine 101 runs every Tuesday ($45). Best cheese selection on Wednesdays after delivery. "Cheesemonger's Choice" - daily tasting of three cheeses ($21). Tasting room requires 48-hour advance booking.

Photo Credit: instagram.com/cheesetique

Cured & Whey in Las Vegas operates as both a wholesale cheese supplier and retail shop. Owner Michael Stamm sources unique cheeses from small European and American producers. The shop supplies cheese to major Las Vegas Strip restaurants and maintains a retail counter for public sales.

Highlights:
Chef's Cheese Board: Daily selection of rare cheeses
Cave-Aged Collection: House-aged specialty cheeses
Raclette Wheel: Swiss raclette sold by weight
Fresh Mozzarella: Made in-house daily
European Cheese Flight: Rotating selection of four imports
Wholesale Cheese Box: Restaurant-sized cheese portions
Custom Cheese Boards: Build-your-own from daily selection

Recommendations:
Wholesale orders require 48-hour notice. Retail counter open Tuesday-Saturday. Best selection early morning after deliveries. Cut-to-order service available for all cheeses. Fresh mozzarella available until sold out daily.