Cheese Lover’s Guide to Minneapolis

Minneapolis is known for its cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy burgers and deep-fried cheese curds, but Minnesota’s largest city also has plenty to offer when it comes to artisan and locally-made cheeses. From cheese shops to restaurants to an urban creamery, here’s your guide to the cheesy side of Minneapolis.

 

Cheese shops

Surdyk’s

303 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis

The cheese shop at Surdyk’s has been a mainstay in the Northeast neighborhood since 1979 and was previously profiled in Cheese Shops We Love. Surdyk’s currently offers over 150 cut-to-order cheeses including classic European favorites and products from Minnesota and Wisconsin-based cheesemakers. The shop also has a sliced-to-order meat counter with over forty varieties of charcuterie from foreign and domestic artisan producers, plus a selection of oils, vinegars, freshly-baked breads, pickles, jams, and other accompaniments. 

The shop’s deli serves soups, salads, and cheese-centric hot and cold sandwiches. For a sit-down meal, visit the adjacent Sidebar at Surdyk’s for cheese and charcuterie boards.

 

France 44 Cheese Shop

4351 France Ave S, Minneapolis

Located in the picturesque Linden Hills neighborhood, France 44 Cheese Shop has been selling artisan cheese since 2001. In addition to a cut-to-order cheese counter, the shop features a whole animal butcher, specialty groceries, and a deli serving sandwiches, salads, cheese boards, and beer and wine by the glass. On nicer days, get your food to go and enjoy a picnic at nearby Lake Harriet.

The shop regularly offers pairing and cheese classes, including a hands-on mozzarella making class. Prefer to leave cheesemaking to the pros? Stop by on a Friday or Saturday, when the cheesemongers pull fresh mozzarella in the shop. If you find yourself in the other half of the Twin Cities, stop by France 44’s sister store, St. Paul Cheese Shop in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood.

 

Lake Wine & Spirits

404 W Lake St, Minneapolis

Uptown’s Lake Wine & Spirits has a well-curated cheese section with rotating domestic and imported selections. They also have a menu of made-to-order cheese sandwiches, with pork, turkey, cured meat, and vegetarian options. 

In addition to dedicated cheese shops, you can find artisan and Minnesota-made cheeses at local upscale grocery chains Lunds & Byerly’s and Kowalski’s and co-ops including Northeast’s Eastside Co-op.

 

Cheese plates

Many Minneapolis restaurants have a cheese board on the menu, but these spots stand out for their local focus or the variety of cheese boards offered.

 

Farmers Kitchen & Bar

750 S 2nd St, Suite 100, Minneapolis

Farmers Kitchen & Bar in the Downtown East neighborhood is owned and operated by the Minnesota Farmers Union and sources many of their ingredients directly from local producers. Their cheese platter features a daily-rotating selection of three Minnesota cheeses and accompaniments including bread made from Minneapolis-milled flour and lingonberry jam, a nod to the Scandinavian influence on the state’s cuisine. 

 

Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro

1129 S. Washington Ave

Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro is a stylish space in Downtown East offers 3 different cheese boards, including one featuring exclusively Italian cheeses. Other cheesy offerings include a whipped ricotta small plate with Calabrian chile honey and lemon and herb honey, and bacon-wrapped figs with goat cheese. Recently featured cheeses included fresh mozzarella, chevre, stracciatella, gruyere, brie and provolone.

 

Cheesemakers

Alemar Cheese Company

1401 Marshall St NE, Suite 140

Urban creamery Alemar Cheese Company was founded by Keith Adams in 2008 and is currently led by head cheesemaker Charlotte Serino. Alemar’s eight varieties of grass-fed cow’s milk cheeses include the Camembert-style Bent River, brie-style Blue Earth, funky beer-washed Good Thunder, and Apricity, a young, lactic-set, soft-ripened which is a favorite of Cheese Professor editor Amy Sherman. Read more about Apricity.

Purchase Alemar’s cheeses online for pick up at their production facility in Northeast’s Food Building, or find them at cheese shops and grocery stores throughout the city. Alemar’s cheeses are featured on many Minneapolis restaurant menus, including the makers’ board at Diane’s Place, the Food Building’s on-site restaurant.

 

Redhead Creamery + Spirits

31535 463rd Ave, Brooten

Further afield, Redhead Creamery + Spirits (previously profiled in Cheese Professor) is an approximately 2-hour drive northwest of Minneapolis. The farmstead creamery is operated by Alise and Lucas Sjostrom, and there’s also an on-site distillery crafting whey-based spirits. Visitors can tour the farm and distillery and purchase cheese and spirits at the creamery’s tasting room and cheese shop, which also serves pan-fried curds, cheese sandwiches, and cheese flights.