Venissimo Cheese

I LOVE this place. Great service, awesome selection and variety, and they make sure you’re able to try any cheese you like. Made some awesome cheese platters from the cheese here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! You won’t be disappointed!

This is one of the most impressive cheese shops I’ve ever been in. I know very little about cheese, but they saved my butt on some great Xmas gifts and gift certificates. The place is pretty small for the crowd they attract. They utilize this space to the tee and it’s a visually appealing shop with all the quality products they carry. Next time I’m in the area, I’m stopping in for a sandwich. If you’re looking to indulge in some high quality cheeses or need to impress, this is the place.

OK so I am new to the world of cheese. They were very patient with me and let me try different cheeses told me what would pair well. The customer service was fantastic and I really appreciated it because I was a little intemidated walking in not knowing anything but they were very kind. I will definitely be back.

What do you do when you crave cheese… like the times when you just can’t get enough cheese… when all you want to do is savor one bite after another of cheese (even the weirdly smelly ones)? …You go to Venissimo…
Alas, the savior of our cheese obsession is here and all is well with the world again.
I wanted (okay, lets be real, I NEEDED) to make an impromptu cheese plate. An assortment that consisted of creamy, buttery brie, smoked, smooth gouda, and the wild card that makes you do a double take because you got a whiff of it. I got to this place 15 minutes before they closed and I’m oh so thankful I made it in the knick of time. The lady behind the counter (I’m sorry, I’m absolutely awful with names) was the most helpful individual I’ve ever encountered, pretty sure I sampled enough to negate my workout that was completed just 30 minutes prior to my arrival here. Yep, I tried everything she offered me… NO SHAME… IT WAS DELICIOUS. Needless to say, I left with exactly what I came for, some cheese, some jam (which I also sampled), and a giant baguette. It was absolutely perfect (and so much more cost effective than a cheese platter at a restaurant!). Their receipt also comes with wine pairing suggestions for each cheese. Yes, this place is awesome…(now imagine «Everything is Awesome!» playing in the background).

So excited!!! Been wanting to come here for some time and today I did it!!! It’s a candy store for cheese… It was a little overwhelming at first but jumped right in like a pro. I tasted many cheeses and bought a good selection. Also picked up some Prosciutto but I had to slow my roll before I went broke. Lol
It was a gourmet kind of a day and I’m happy. «I’ll Be Back»

Cheese please! The selection of cheese and the service was superb. This was my first time visiting this location. It is only a deli where you can order cheese and not tasting room. The only caveat to this is that it is REALLY SMALL. Everyone kind of gets crowded and I got a little nervous and felt pushed to order my cheeses and get out so that the next person can taste their cheese (s). I think for the future, I will need to sample 1 cheese and know what I want to order to get in and out quick. I will have to save my cheese tasting and loitering times for a non-​busy weekday.

BEST cheeses from all around the world. Great for dinner party appetizers. Their speck cured ham is wonderful too. They have fresh ricotta every week which is 100 times better but like 3 times cheaper than the grocery store.

This is a great cheese shop. Whatever you want the clerks will find for you. They are generous with tastings so you know what you are buying. I bought a funky Vermont cheese called Oma which has all kinds of flavors. I have bought several other cheeses from this shop including Gubbeen from Ireland. They keep a log of everything I have bought so if I can’t remember the name, they can refresh my memory. So if your taste is cheese is more than Velveeta this is the place to go.

This place has the best cheese. Idk much about cheese but they helped me pick some great ones

A wonderful store for cheese lovers, with several locations.
It’s hard to remember that you can order sandwiches and snacks here when there is such an abundance of cheeses and accoutrements in these tiny stores.
Staff is cheerful, helpful, very knowledgeable about tasting notes and pairings as well as personalities… lots of hospitality here with great cheese education… always quick and generous with tasting samples.
I also appreciate that they do a lot of wonderful support in the San Diego food community… through events and cheese education classes. Championing small artisan cheese makers everywhere.

Great staff and great selection. Always my go to when I want a great night if cheese tasting

I always get the picnic pack that includes two cheeses of your choice, salami, dried fruit, a piece of chocolate and some water crackers all in a cute insulated bag. The service here is excellent! For the indecisive, they give you as many tastings as you want. This is my go to place if I need something for a picnic or some outdoor event.

The cheese here is very pricey (the cheapest is about $ 18 a pound), but it’s definitely a place where you get what you pay for.
The first time I came to Venissimo, I wanted to buy cheese to make into fast sandwiches to stuff into the freezer. Big mistake. Stick to cheaper grocery store blocks for that. This is the cheese you buy for savoring on its own, for making a lovely cheese plate, for nibbling on with drinks. Definitely not the type of cheese you gulp down on the run with loads of mustard.
There’s a large selection of cheeses, the staff is very helpful with making recommendations, and they will give you samples of basically every block while you’re trying to decide which ones you actually want to buy. They’re also lovely about cutting off little pieces when you fall in love with a really expensive cheese and can’t commit to a whole half pound.
They keep a record of what cheese you buy (optional) so you can easily find that lovely blue again you bought last year in January but don’t remember the name of… You receipt will be a mile long because each type you buy has notes on suggested wine and beer pairings.
Time for a cheese party!

A wonderful find for cheese lovers, tucked in the Headquarters across the square from Puesto. Sorry I posted for the Mission Hills location, I went to the downtown location.
The store has a very clean, homey feel with sandwiches and a large cheese case, and retail goods against the wall. Cute cheese boards and cheese knives are available.
The folks working here were very nice and offered to give us some samples. We tried a delicious truffle cheese from England and it was amazing. The prices are reasonable given the special cheeses they being together, probably less than cheeses at Whole Foods.
Check it out!

Not that many people know this about me, but I kind of love cheese. Actually, that might be an understatement. It’s more like I have a cheese addiction. So when I randomly came across a Unilocaler’s review about this place, I couldn’t help but give it a shot.
Don’t let the size of this place fool you. It’s a small shop, but packed with lots and lots of cheeses I’ve never even heard of. If you’re unsure of what kind of cheese you want to get, ask these folks and they will recommend one or two for you. They’ll even let you try out samples, which is kind of an awesome deal. You don’t want to walk away with cheese you don’t like. I know I don’t.
They also have these really cool deal. For $ 10, you can get a cheese plate or a cheese and charcuterie plate that’s the perfect size for a little picnic. They recommend this plate for up to two people, which is not bad at all. You don’t get to choose the cheeses or meats, but I was extremely happy with the ones they gave me. The plate also comes with almonds, crackers, and I think it was a driedcraisin. Also, if you give them your name, every time you buy a wedge of cheese, they will enter it into their system so they have on record all the types of cheeses you’ve bought in the past. So if you ever forget a cheese you really liked, they will have it on file. Their receipts also have wine pairings listed for the cheese that you bought.
I think I found myself a keeper. Not going to lie. I came back two days later and bough one of the cheeses (Arina — goat gouda) I originally sampled before deciding on the cheese/​charcuterie plate.
Shout out to Jessica who was so patient with us and our questions regarding the cheeses. You were such a sweetheart. Come to this place. They know their stuff.

I could give up a lot of things in life and still be happy, but cheese is not one of them. Given that fact, you’re probably not too shocked to hear that I completely love this place!
I was first exposed to Venissimo several years ago when I was volunteering at s charity event. I was supposed to work at one of the food tables and luckily ended up serving the cheese they donated (bonus points for being a charitable business!!!). Since then I’ve been head over heels for the place.
Although small, they have a serious selection of cheese that will knock your socks off. All of the staff here is extremely knowledgeable and can definitely help guide you through cheese paradise. If you’re not sure what you want, simply tell them what you usually like and they’ll hook you up with some samples. They also sell various salamis, olives, and bread which coincidentally all go great with cheese!

My God, Jim… look at all the cheese!
More cheese than I think I ever knew existed, let alone have ever seen before… and all in one place. I’m not typically a cheese person but this place makes me really crave cheese and has me feeling all cheesy.
The place is small but packs a huge inventory and the staff is right there to welcome you as soon as you walk in the door and anxious to help you as quickly as possible. They’ll gladly give you samples of anything you desire and answer any questions that you may have. They’re also there to make you recommendations and possible substitutions in the rare event that they are out of something.
They were out of a couple things that I wanted to try (Noord Hollander & Kokos) but I did show up later in the afternoon and Christmas is a few days away so I somewhat expected that. They did however, have the main thing I came for and that was some Cahill Porter. So I grabbed a half pound at $ 11.50 and was on my merry way knowing that I’ll surely be back to get my I missed out on today. Who knows, might even be as soon as a day or two from now.
Anyway, selection is awesome, staff is awesome, the cheese… oh yes, the cheese, it’s awesome. So in case you weren’t paying attention, Venissimo Cheese is awesome!
Where else should you shop to feed your cheesiness? Nowhere. Nowhere else but here.

I was chatting last week with a friend about Paris, which got me thinking about that city’s pleasant and interesting cheese shops. I asked in a Talk thread if there is anything comparable in San Diego, hoping to find something more than a cooler full of cheeses, as I’d expect at Whole Foods and other high-​end grocers. Strange as it sounds, I wanted a cheese shop with ambiance.
My friends were helpful, if a bit scattered with their advice. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s were mentioned, as were smaller stores like Brothers Provisions and Tip Top Meats, and bars and restaurants including The Patio on Goldfinch, Prepkitchen and Splash.
But I wanted to find a cheese shop like those I’ve enjoyed in Paris and in the Allgäu region of southern Germany, places run by pleasant folks who’ve devoted themselves to a deep knowledge of the product and its uses, and who are happy to talk — all day, if warranted — about cheese.
Venissimo was recommended to me by: David B., Sierramarie B., Cathleen F., Maricela H., Adria D., Melanio F. I’ve listed their «names» because I want to thank them, publicly, for the referral. Venissimo in Mission Hills was fantastic, and was exactly what I was looking for.
Parking was easy, despite the fact that there’s only street parking available and that it was all occupied. A space opened up as I arrived, as if the Universe wished to tell me I was where I belonged. The Universe had not, however, provided change for the meter, and Mission Hills isn’t equipped with the Space Age parking system we have downtown, so I entered Venissimo and broke a bill. I intended to be there for a while.
Reentering, I was greeted by Amber, who was cheerful and helpful. Like the folks I’d met in Europe, she knew her product, and more important, was enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge, and about learning what I knew, and what my taste required.
I had a few things in mind:
— I want to make a Cremini risotto with a subtle, earthy cheese to accompany a Porchetta and some Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Chipped Hazelnuts.
— I bought some nice ripe pears that I’ll use to make Italian ice or sorbetto, and I want to serve a cheese with or before that dessert.
— Football has started, and I want to eat cheese and meat on bread while I watch the game (s).
Amber was funny; once she’d heard my plans, she started me off with a couple of cheeses that were good, but extremely mild. After the second sample, I realized she was pulling her punches, and suddenly, I understood how girls feel when Dad tosses the ball to them waaaay too gently. I mentioned this to Amber, who smiled and admitted that she had started «conservatively.» Once we established that I could handle bolder flavors, we started over.
In the 1 ½ hours that followed, I sampled more than a dozen cheeses, including:
Piave Vecchio
Drunken Goat
Bucherondin
Boschetto (Sierramarie B.‘s recommendation)
Pecorino Toscano
Salva Cremasco
Delice de Bourgogne
Monte Enebro
I was offered bread to accompany these bites, but declined, and purchased a sliced apple instead.
With one or two exceptions, I quite enjoyed all of these delicious cheeses. Working with Amber, discussing our respective opinions about the cheeses I was tasting, I felt as though I was visiting a friend who just wanted my life to be better. It turns out that the key to happiness is Monte Enebro.
Monte Enebro is sooo deep and smooth, it’s honestly one of the best things — of any sort — that I’ve tasted in years. Yesterday, I bought some bread at Paris Baguette, then at home, made myself a plate of Venissimo purchases. Every time I tasted the Monte Enebro, I smiled. Now, that’s a little weird, I grant you, but it was just so good, it made me happy for the bite. Also, I found myself considering what the best red wine was in the house, and had to talk myself out of drinking away an excellent bottle I’ve been saving for years. I also wondered where I could find perfectly ripe black cherries. See? the Monte Enebro is a cheese that will make you DO things.
Venissimo (
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Whole Foods (
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Trader Joe’s (
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Brothers Provisions (
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Tip Top Meats (
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The Patio on Goldfinch (
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Prepkitchen (
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Splash (
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A co-​worker of mine knows how much I love cheese and recommended this place. We were down in the Hillcrest area, so we stopped in. This place is a cheese-​aholics paradise!
The staff was super friendly and totally willing to help and explain. We were able to sample any cheese we wanted. The staff was knowledgeable and even helped with pairing. We decided on some bold and smoky cheeses and landed on a beer pairing.
There are so many cheeses to choose from, along with extras like small toasted bread rounds and exotic fruit spreads.
They keep your name on file with the cheese selections you’ve made so you don’t have to remember. Take a look at your receipt when you get it, it will have a description of your cheese (s) and what drink pairs the best.
I can’t wait to go back and try more!

When you are looking for cheese in San Diego, Venissimo is no doubt the number one place to go. I love grilled cheese and after having one from their location down at Head Quarter’s downtown, I knew I had to stop in when I was in the area. This time around I had the Savory on a baguette which included aged white cheddar, spicy apple garlic jam, and for an additional .50 cents, I added some wonderful Sopressata! The grilled cheese came with a fruit and I choose the pear (
).
The grilled cheese sandwich was pressed in a panini grill where the heat help develop a wonderful crunch on the baguette, properly melted the aged cheddar, and most importantly, heated up that Sopressata so that it released not only the meats flavor, but little drippings of its fat (
). The aged cheddar had a good nutty flavor with a good sharp after taste. It was a little grainy due to its age, but still smooth with a firm texture, even melted down (
). The aged cheddar eaten in conjunction with the Sopressata was bliss. If I only had a bottle of wine. This place is always a great treat.
This place would not be what it is, without the great friendly service and hospitality. They offer free tasters daily and allow you to sample the cheeses on hand.