Taste Artisan Cheese and Gourmet Shop

This place is closed. I even confirmed it with the wine place next door.

I used a $ 20 Groupon but I still ended up paying almost $ 50 for my cheeses which sort of defeats the purpose of having a Groupon. But the lady who works here basically acted as if she was going to choose the right weight of cheeses so that I don’t go THAT much over $ 20 – but no. I was suckered into her game. She just wanted to wring out as much business from me as possible. And it was hard for me to resist because, hello, it’s cheese!
I got to learn about different wine-​cheese and beer-​cheese pairings and also the differences between goat, sheep, and cow cheeses. Trying the different samples was fun too, but what sort of ticked me off (besides being pressured to buy so much cheese) was that when I asked the owner if she had Humboldt Fog (my favorite goat cheese), she replied sharply, «What are you talking about?! I’ve never heard of that!» Rude.
I would probably give this place 3 stars if it were not this final experience: the owner sold me a soft cow cheese that she swore was the best (I forgot the name, but it comes in a little small cup and is extremely soft and decadent, almost like a cream) but by the time I had driven back to my apartment (about 15 – 20 minutes away from Hillcrest), it was ridden with mold. I salvaged a bite here and there, but it was inedible.
In sum: never again! Whole Foods is good enough for me. And at least they have Humboldt Fog.

Cheese lovers, this is the place for you! Noncheese lovers, this is the place for you!
I’m not a huge fan of cheese, but I thought it would be fun to visit this place with some friends, courtesy of Groupon! What a delight. The owner was extremely friendly and provided a variety of samples so that we could make the best choices to meet our personal tastes. There is a wine bar next door so you can take your cheese there, or bring your wine to the cheese shop.
You may want to call ahead to see what they have in stock, or when their next order arrives. Their cheeses come from around the world.
This place is a treat!

CLOSED. This business is now closed. They had great cheese… but I had some nasty experiences with customer service at this business. The woman was truly rude at times. Regardless… now CLOSED.

I love Taste. Maybe it’s that I have a one-​way love affair with all things cheese and so Mary and her hubs George are my key enablers. Maybe it’s that I like being able to actually move around as I scope out what’s new from the pastoral promised land. Maybe I like that my name is in their database with all the cheese I’ve tried, so I don’t have to remember that it’s Midnight Moon and Ewephoria that I need a ¼ pound of. I don’t know. And I don’t care either. I just go to them like a bug to the light.
Mary will hook you up and let you taste anything, which is how I make my purchasing decisions. She’s totally knowledgeable and friendly… and a part of our community. And who doesn’t like to support their community? :)
Plus, I like that they support other local purveyors of artisanal products by using wall and shelf space to sell art, spices, and cheese plates, etc. Cool.
Bottom line: Great selection, knowledgeable staff, tasty cheeses that don’t come wrapped in plastic wrap like the crap at Vons. I prefer them to Venissimo because I like their space better, I like Mary better, and, frankly, I feel like they are a bit of an underdog. I ALWAYS root for the underdog.

I had the pleasure to shop at Taste today with my Groupon coupon. Mary was so sweet and informative. She suggested that I try a couple different cheeses made from different types of milk. She even suggested that I get a nice glass of wine from next door while I tasted her selections. It was a great experience. A little expensive, but worth it. I am so excited to devour the variety of cheeses I took home. I will absolutely come back. Try the Winchester Habenaro Gouda. So good!

The cheese is great, but I am giving 3 stars b/​c it is so expensive. Listen, I am well aware of the high price of cheese and am ready to pay $ 10−15/lb. However, I asked for an award winning cheese and didn’t learn until after I had been rung up that it cost a whopping $ 40/​lb. Are you kidding me?!! I was using a Groupon coupon for $ 20 expecting to even have a little left over but no instead I had to fork over another $ 13 for not that much cheese. The worst part was that it was implied in our conversation that I wanted to stay w/​in my coupon limits.
Note: Either have the price per pound prominently posted or Make it a practice to tell your customers the price as you give them a sample and before ringing them up. Especially… When there is a huge price deferential.
Lesson: ask the price first.

I came in here hoping to find some truffle salt. To my great sadness, they were out of it. So I asked whether they have any truffle cheese and the guy gave us a sample. It was really good, but white truffle is not my favorite. I really prefer black truffle.
Great selection of cheeses, and I love that they give you samples to try. They also have some great local chocolates (try the one with sage and blackberry– you actually get little seeds in your teeth it’s so fresh).
Mary M., I’m so jealous of your foie gras mousse. I must go back and try that!
Highly recommended for a cute place for cheese and other specialty goodies. I can’t wait to come back for one of their classes!

Went here for a beer and cheese class, and it was great! Really welcoming feel and friendly atmosphere. I love cheese, so I was of course worried that I wouldn’t feel like I was getting enough cheese to taste, but by the end, I was cheesed out! I would recommend their classes to anyone who actually wants to learn about cheese and beer (or wine) or just wants a fun evening with friends.

To my friends, I am a serious Foodie. This is all an elaborate hoax of course, I just eat so much I can separate the real, the deal, and the meal, enough to fool any serious gourmand. This is a great place to go and load up if you are throwing an adult party. Ask them to explain the cheese and memorize what they say, take it home and repeat. Give them a strange challenge, say for example you are serving dark beer, they will come up with something amazing and your friends will think you are cutting edge. Obviously they have the standards down, great cheddar’s and blues, perfect for sandwich Swiss, and smoked Gouda for BLT’s and salads to kick it up. Really fun place to visit too, excellent service.

Mary, you rock my socks… and your cheeses do, too.
The Purple Haze was an enormous hit with the Mrs. and the Chimay cheese was to die for.
I *will* be back. Much fun, and an utter treat to simply talk to you instead of the «get in-​get out, nobody gets hurt» that seems to accompany everywhere else.
Total winner!!!

Only 4 stars b/​c the fifth star means its addictive and it is… OH MY GOODNESS. So good!
The Gouda… SO YUM!
Usually Wine Steals next door gets their cheese from them.
So amazing and bad for you.
Enjoy…

Let them eat… CHEESE! I love this place, and of course Mary and George. It’s a dream and a gift to have little boutique stores like this one in Hillcrest. I always leave with something. and I feel like a kid who just left a candy store when I do. I love the Roquefort… love the way it cuts my tongue!

Tasty Tasty Taste!!! English cheddar cheese goodiness that went well with my beer and wine. Thank you Mary!

I’ve had this place bookmarked forever and finally made it down there today. I was actually a bit disappointed that they didn’t offer any cheeses that we could eat there. We don’t live in SD and I wasn’t able to purchase any cheese because there isn’t any place we could store it.
We weren’t able to eat the sample cheese plate in the wine bar next door because we had our son with us, so doubly disappointed.
The girl working the counter did let me sample an Irish blue cheese which was pretty awesome. *POUT* I really wanted some cheese!

There isn’t a word in the title of this charming little Hillcrest shop I don’t like:
TASTE: I was greeted by Mary upon going in to get some gift cheeses. I had previously received cheeses from Taste as a gift, so I had to pay it forward. After narrowing down the vast varieties by asking me some questions, Mary selected a few raw milk cheeses which were out of this world. She let me taste each one. With most of the selection being on the pricey side (but well worth it), tasting is as practical as it is fun!
ARTISAN: These folks know their cheese. They know how to find and buy the good stuff. They don’t necessarily make it, but they’re gifted enough in their trade to know how to find the artisans the world over.
CHEESE: God bless that bedouin who accidentally invented this stuff by curdling milk in a sheep’s stomach out in the desert so many years ago!
AND: useful conjunction. Not much to do with this review, but try going a day without using it.
GOURMET: The store features other cool gourmet items like crackers and chocolates. Perfect to arm yourself for your next impromptu picnic. Plus, Wine Steals is in the next room!
Do yourself a favor and splurge to get some of the world’s best stuff!

I LOVE cheese, but I don’t think anyone has mentioned Taste’s selection of PATE! The b/​f and I decided to have a couple of people over for wine, cheese, and pâté, and the owner really pointed us in the right direction. I am not a huge fan of the hard pâté, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it (Campagne Forester — Pork and ‘shrooms).
My faves were the Goose Mousse with French dessert wine and the Duck Mousse with Port. Mmmmm… these were super rich and delicious.
The owner was also a great help on a small selection of cheeses to give to a friend with a bottle of wine for a b’day gift… (So it’s a little untraditional to give small portions of cheese wrapped in paper with names penned in sharpie, but I think my friend enjoyed them, and what a fantastic excuse to go cheese tasting!)

Nothing makes me melt like a good chunk of cheese and some warm french bread. Ok, maybe a sexy glass of wine. Or, a scrumptious slice of cake. Well, then there’s always a delectable plate of sushi. Ok, we get it… I’m a foodie.
At any rate, I just went here for the first time. Taste has a really nice selection of artisan cheeses, combined with a simple, welcoming setting. The owner, George, was really helpful and friendly. I didn’t know quite what I was in the mood for, but walked out with three really delicious selections.

TASTE is dedicated to crushing my dream of becoming a vegan. So is In-​N-​Out, but that’s a different story. TASTE serves up world-​wide dairy goodness that will make your Velveeta eating friends finally see the light. These cheeses aren’t cheap, but I feel that’s a good thing. It’s like paying to keep my abs visible. If good cheese was cheap, I would resemble a large round of Gouda.
I particularly like that TASTE will make an account that keeps track of which cheeses you have purchased. I have scraps of paper all over my studio with names of good cheeses, wines, beers… never ladies and phone numbers though, darn it. Now my place will be a bit tidier.

When I first drove by this place, I was enamored with the simple fact that the word artisan was followed by cheese in the same line. I had to make a U-​Turn.
Taste Artisan Cheese and Gourmet Shop will cost you. Mimolette, Roquefort, Goat cheese, Gruyère and the likes are present, but also Spanish sheep cheese, Irish blue and other less familiar kinds as well. However, your momentum will be a bit slowed down once you see the dollar figure for a pound of cheese. So, think ounces. The cheese will be beautifully cut at the wheel in front of you, and if you happen to go next door to Wine Steals, you may snack on a cheese plate for $ 5 that will beautifully pair your wine.
The store also offers pates, olive oils, crackers, and salamis to add a distinctive touch to your soirée. And finally, it is the place to go to learn everything about cheese, and more particularly, to eat and savor every ounce of it.