OMG That’s a Fine Cheese Plate
I love cheese plates. I order one whenever I see it on a menu.
In 2012, for no particular reason, I started taking pictures of them. I accumulated a bunch before I had the idea to create a photoblog for them. I put it on Tumblr, bought a domain, and OMG That’s a Fine Cheese Plate was born.
I’ve archived the pictures here. Tumblr doesn’t allow titles on photo posts, so I can only list them by date.
The volume of pictures for a given period usually corresponds with how much I’m traveling. Also note that I’ll sometimes save them up, then post them all at one time. If there are many pictures on a given day, know that the plates were likely consumed in the days previous to the listed date.
Occasionally people will send me pictures of their cheese plates, which I will happily post. And every once in a while, I find a picture on the internet which is worth posting. Also, my definition of “cheese plate” was flexible. Some of these are charcuterie boards, some are novelty items, and some are just about the joy of cheese in general.
These cheese plates have become something of a travel history for me. I can usually remember each one of them, including the trip I was on when I consumed it, and who I was with at the time.
2022
Cheese Plate: August 6, 2022
My Canadian friends Mark and Sydney continue to make me jealous with pictures like this. That’s Lake Huron in the background.
Cheese Plate: June 11, 2022
A friend went to Di Bruno Bros in Philadelphia for their “After Hours” event. “After Hours is a private, after dark, tasting, learning, and shopping experience in our shops. Get a…
Cheese Plate: May 30, 2022
Burrata on…something. Tomatoes, maybe? This was at Sophie’s Steakhouse in Soho, London (it wasn’t mine, so I didn’t eat it, or else I would know more about it). Also, for some reason, I…
Cheese Plate: May 12, 2022
The five-cheese flight at Beecher’s in the Flatiron District of NYC. True story When I’m in NYC, I love Murray’s Cheese Bar in the West Village. I went there to find – to my horror –…
Cheese Plate: May 6, 2022
An awesome spread at a business reception in Sioux Falls. No idea where they got it. The “flowers” are actually pepperoni.
2021
2020
Cheese Plate: May 22, 2020
A good-looking selection from my friends Mark and Sydney from Ottawa. Complete with adorable little vermin.
Cheese Plate: April 15, 2020
A picture from my friend John. He tells me the blue-ish stuff is something called “grijs spetserke” which I admit I have never heard of.
Cheese Plate: February 14, 2020
Fruit and cheese tray at the Oakley Court hotel in Windsor, UK. Incidentally, this is the same hotel where they filmed The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
2019
Cheese Plate: December 23, 2019
The dessert cheese plate (which they told me comes from Murray’s Cheese Shop) at Charlie Palmer in The Knickerbocker Hotel in NYC.
Cheese Plate: November 5, 2019
Fried mozzarella patties at some random restaurant in the Minneapolis Airport. They had a more impressive name, but I forgot it. The sauce was a spicy tomato mash, which was quite good.
Cheese Plate: November 2, 2019
A burrata appetizer at Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. It was shockingly good. One of the creamiest things I’ve ever eaten.
Cheese Plate: August 30, 2019
The charcuterie board, deviled eggs, and a margarita at The Treasury in Sioux Falls. It’s the bar inside the upcoming Hotel on Phillips.
Cheese Plate: May 25, 2019
My friend Rasmus ordered “Gammelknas cheese, rosehip tonka compote, and ryebread” at Cofoco in Copenhagen.
Cheese Plate: March 3, 2019
Cheese board at Fire Lake Grill in the Raddison Blu at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. The little pot in the center had spiced honey from hives that the University of Minnesota…
Cheese Plate: February 15, 2019
At 150 Central Park onboard the Harmony of the Seas. They made the cheese plate table-side, which is the first time I’ve seen this. The waiter brought a cart of cheeses, explained each…
2018
Cheese Plate: December 12, 2018
So, we thought this was a cheese plate, but it was more of a charcuterie board. There is cheese hidden under there. It was an Italian restaurant so it was all mozzarella and parmesean….
Cheese Plate: June 6, 2018
So, this is technically cheese in a plate…of sorts. I don’t even know what it was called, but you spooned it out into a tortilla, and it was amazing. At El Caballito in Toronto.
Cheese Plate: May 26, 2018
Less of a plate; more of a bowl. This is fresh mozzarella, orange slices, mint leaves, and pine nuts, at Strandvagen 1 on the Stockholm waterfront.
Cheese Plate: May 6, 2018
The three-cheese plate at Splash in downtown Des Moines. The fig jam and goat cheese (in the middle) was spectacular.
2017
Cheese Plate: June 14, 2017
The charcuterie board at the Xi Bar at The Tower Hotel in London. (Literally, at the base of The Tower Bridge.)
Cheese Plate: June 8, 2017
The charcuterie board at Gordon Ramsey’s Union Street Cafe in London. The stuff at the far end is a hard, parmesean bread.
2016
Cheese Plate: November 5, 2016
A dessert. Warm camenbert over apples, drizzled with honey and garnished with grapes and walnuts. Served with bread. It was amazing. I found it at some Swabian restaurant somewhere in…
Cheese Plate: November 5, 2016
The cheese selection at KaDeWe, or “Mall of the West” in Berlin. These are all the shots I got before a very unpleasant lady told me very strongly in German that I wasn’t allowed to…
Cheese Plate: October 17, 2016
Bosses day. My employees hid the good cheese plate behind one with Spam and Velveeta slices. In the first picture, you can see the real one hidden under a white towel on the lower…
Cheese Plate: September 26, 2016
The Urban Farmer in Portland. The honey (lower right corner) was from their own hives on the rooftop. When I told the server I was going to blog it, she rushed to get the sprig of…
Cheese Plate: June 22, 2016
This is something called “Goat in a Coat” at a place called 709 in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. The thing second from left is warm goat cheese.
Cheese Plate: March 9, 2016
A half-eaten cheese plate from a client’s office in Minneapolis. The card said it was from some place with the inventive name of Cheese Shop.
Cheese Plate: January 3, 2016
Gorgeous catered plate at a friend’s Christmas party. The brie in the middle was so, so good. I still don’t understand how some brie ends up waxy and some (like this one) ends up…
2015
Cheese Plate: December 1, 2015
I legitimately can’t remember where this was. Somewhere downtown Minneapolis at a place filled with small plates and happiness.
Cheese Plate: September 7, 2015
My friend Rob, on vacation in Italy: “ Just your average everyday run of the mill supermarket selection. Commence drooling in 3, 2, 1…”
Cheese Plate: September 4, 2015
It was my 44th birthday yesterday. My wife surprised me with a 2.5 pound half wheel of Humboldt Fog goat cheese, which she turned into a “cake.”
2014
Cheese Plate: October 1, 2014
The cheese plate at Spezia. They dropped the hummus, but still served the crackers, which seems odd. The cheese was okay; nothing to write home about. The salami was good.
Cheese Plate: August 15, 2014
From my friend Mark who didn’t even send this to me directly. No, I had to see it on Facebook like every other chump. That’s loyalty for you.
Cheese Plate: July 31, 2014
Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet in DeForest, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee. I got a 10-year cheddar that was as sharp as a razor blade. They had a 10-year, but it was huge. And there was…
Cheese Plate: July 13, 2014
Parker’s has re-split their cheese plate. They had turned it into a larger charcuterie board, but have now split that back into separate appetizers. Still great.
Cheese Plate: June 12, 2014
Sampler pack from CostCo. Dutch Gouda, Creamy Havarti, French Swiss, and Aged Cheddar. Not the most sophisticated thing ever, but some damn tasty cheese nonetheless.
Cheese Plate: June 8, 2014
The new-ish “Cheese and Charcuterie” page at Parker’s. It’s way more entree-ish than before, though so presented as an appetizer.
Cheese Plate: June 6, 2014
A glob of Burrata cheese on top of thinly sliced Parma ham at a tiny little Italian place in London. “Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell…
Cheese Plate: March 22, 2014
Crawfords has had a charcuterie board forever, but they’ve supplemented that with an honest-to-God cheese plate now. The stuff in the bowl was a cheese spread that was quite good on the…
Cheese Plate: March 21, 2014
I like Tre in Sioux Falls, I really do. But to call this an “artisan cheese plate” is a little absurd. These were straight-up cheese cubes that you could get in the diary section of any…
Cheese Plate: March 18, 2014
Anonymous cheese plate being carried by a waiter in an elevator at the Crowne Plaza Northstar in Minneapolis. The waiter thought I was a little weird, but whatever.
Cheese Plate: February 11, 2014
From my buddy Karla, taken at The Magnolia Hotel in Omaha. She notes this from the menu: Brie, Grana Padano, Machego, Vecchio, Beemster, Smoked Gouda, Boursin, Prosciutto, Lavosh I’m…
Cheese Plate: January 19, 2014
From my friend Peter, who says it’s “quesa manchego & membrillo” from his friend Dom, who is clearly either obsessive compulsive, way too into feng shui, or a frustrated geometry…
Cheese Plate: January 19, 2014
A big ‘ol plate of cheese at the CrossFit Sioux Falls holiday party at Bros Brasserie in Sioux Falls. The brutal irony is that a lot of CrossFitters eat Paleo (even more so during the…
2013
Cheese Plate: December 21, 2013
This was a fantastic cheese plate we got from The Market for David’s going away party. There was a big hunk of goat cheese in the middle, surrounded by little bell peppers stuffed with…
Cheese Plate: December 19, 2013
My friend Peter sent me this. There was no elaboration other than “I was at a dinner party at my friends’ home - Mike & Dom.” So, here’s a recap of what we know: Mike and Dom are…
Cheese Plate: December 19, 2013
Lots of Parker’s lately, but do the portions seem to be getting bigger, or is it just me? The preserves are new (and awesome). And when you put “Drunken Goat” on a plate, you just…
Cheese Plate: December 14, 2013
At the Blend Christmas party at Leonardo’s in the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. The real treasure in this one was a smoked Gouda hidden among the more pedestrian cubes.
Cheese Plate: December 14, 2013
At Southern Accent in Toronto with my buddy Peter. The presentation on this one was a little simplistic, but the cheese was first-rate. They had a firm goat cheese in there that was…
Cheese Plate: October 22, 2013
My friend Allan from Copenhagen sent me these from a birthday party at his sister’s house. I visited Copenhagen once with Allan, and I was determined to get a “Danish danish” (meaning…
Cheese Plate: October 15, 2013
At NoMad in New York City. It was…okay. Nothing special. The cinnamon/raisin toast was interesting, and the little dish of white stuff was a mild brie.
Cheese Plate: September 28, 2013
Fromage a Trois at Leadbelly in Lincoln, Nebraska. More meat that cheese, really, but a decent smoked gouda, and an interesting hard blue.
Cheese Plate: September 27, 2013
At a reception for parents of students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln Parent Weekend. That’s a whole bunch of cheese. There is beauty in overflow.
Cheese Plate: September 26, 2013
At Spezia for this one. They call this a “Tuscan Cheese Plate,” which I think is apt. The olives and asparagus give it an Italian feel. There was a great honey mustard sauce on the…
Cheese Plate: September 25, 2013
Here’s something different. Joe got this as an in-flight meal on American Airlines. “It was better than I thought it would be.”
Cheese Plate: September 25, 2013
Back at Parkers. The nuts were awesome on this one — candied with kind of a burnt twist to them. I asked for extra honeycomb and had enough to put some on every piece of cheese.
Cheese Plate: September 20, 2013
Karla sent me this from Crawford’s, in Sioux Falls. I believe this is actually their charcuterie board. In my experience, it has more meat than cheese, but is still awesome.
Cheese Plate: September 13, 2013
Fantastic plate made by my friend Daniel and his girlfriend Jessica at her home outside Stockholm, Sweden. I made a complete pig of myself with this. (Hint: a communal cheese plate…
Cheese Plate: September 13, 2013
Fantastic plate made by my friend Daniel and his girlfriend Jessica at her home outside Stockholm, Sweden. I made a complete pig of myself with this. (Hint: a communal cheese plate…
Cheese Plate: September 13, 2013
At Grotesk in Helsinki, Finland during a wine party at Content Strategy Forum 2013. This really had a perfect mix of flavors. The blue was sharp; the orange stuff is a pumpkin puree,…
Cheese Plate: September 10, 2013
At Victoria in Stockholm, next to King’s Garden. These are a selection of Swedish cheeses, which were wonderful. Two very sharp blues. I had this after a fantastic lunch of…wait for…
Cheese Plate: August 9, 2013
Last time I was at Murray’s Cheese Bar (back in June), they had a promotion where they gave out an illustrated cheese wheel poster if you posted a photo to Facebook and tagged them. I…
Cheese Plate: August 8, 2013
This is what me and my friends Karen and Lou did tonight. The eight cheese plate from Murray’s. It was the Cheesemonger’s Choice, and we told him to “keep it gooey.” The cheesemonger…
Cheese Plate: August 4, 2013
Back at Parkers. The honeycomb is back (it’s hiding under the upper right corner of the nut dish), and the big hunk of brie is a nice surprise.
Cheese Plate: August 1, 2013
At Filini in Chicago. Not a fan. I paid $18 for this. Very little cheese, no toppings. Overpriced and not very good.
Cheese Plate: July 10, 2013
At McNally’s Irish Pub in Sioux Falls, which is a little weird for an Irish pub, I think. There was a lot of cheese here. I find crackers a little pointless if the cheese isn’t…
Cheese Plate: June 26, 2013
At Markethouse in the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Chicago. The gooey stuff in the middle is a little pile of heaven called “Creamont” from some place in Vermont. They served it with…
Cheese Plate: June 21, 2013
Another from John Field: […] from my good friends’ wedding a few years a go - oh that we would all think of this for the evening buffet
Cheese Plate: June 20, 2013
At Cena in Appleton, Wisconsin. The bright orange stuff is nine-year aged cheddar. Sharp like a razor blade.
Cheese Plate: June 15, 2013
This one comes to us from John Field, across the pond. He says: […] Farnham, Surrey, UK, Lock Fyne, fairly standard for these parts, Goats, Brie, Cheddar, Stilton.
Cheese Plate: June 11, 2013
Murray’s Cheese Bar in the West Village. Mostly soft cheeses (by request). Frankly, amazing. To date, this is the King of Cheese Plates.
Cheese Plate: June 10, 2013
The five cheese plate at Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro in Manhattan, and their cheese bar, behind which stood a cheesemonger who gave me a great impromptu lesson on how to make…
Cheese Plate: June 4, 2013
Our first international submission. From my buddy Joe, direct from France. Phare de la Meditaranee, Palavas-les-Flots, France. From the top of a tower with a rotating restaurant….
Cheese Plate: March 28, 2013
Parker’s again. The blue cheese here was strong as hell. I got some assurances from the owner that the honeycomb is coming back, so I’m looking forward to that.
Cheese Plate: March 8, 2013
The blue cheese on this was so pungent that my mouth actually burned. For the first time in, like, ever, I left some cheese on the plate. (Also, Parker’s again…)
Cheese Plate: February 12, 2013
Submission from my friend Kerrie. I loved the honeycomb – fresh honeycomb spread on a slice of hard, sharp cheese is as close to heaven as I’ve ever come.
Cheese Plate: January 14, 2013
At Vitae in NYC. Two words: fig chutney. (More and more, I’m liking this format: small piece of bread, spreadable cheese, and some fruit on top.)
2012
Cheese Plate: December 27, 2012
Our first submission – this is from my buddy Joe, who is home sick today, so I have to assume he made this himself. Nicely done.
Cheese Plate: December 5, 2012
The old standby from Parkers. No honey this time, which was a bit of a let down, but wonderful fruit. The cut Kiwi was wonderful.
Cheese Plate: November 24, 2012
Thirty seven dollars worth of cheese, a few handfuls of smoked almonds, several sprigs of grapes, and 10 minutes of prep later…
Cheese Plate: November 24, 2012
Prepare yourselves, my little ones. This is: Smoked Cheddar, Gouda, Dill Havarti, Camembert, and Blueberry Infused Stilton (which tasted very much like vomit).
Cheese Plate: November 22, 2012
Another interesting find from Reddit. Cheese “plate” on brown paper, with the names of the cheese written on the paper with a Sharpie. I like it.
Cheese Plate: November 21, 2012
My wife made me an awesome plate. Peppered Goat Cheese, Spanish Manchego, Dofini Reserved Guoda, and French Abby Port Salute. Nice.
Cheese Plate: November 19, 2012
The charcuterie board at Crawford’s in Sioux Falls. Probably more meat (update: she the definition of “charcuterie” in the next post) than cheese, but the intent is the same.
Cheese Plate: November 14, 2012
From Spezia in Sioux Falls, SD. The hummus and asparagus was a nice touch and the vinaigrette was good to sop up with some bread.