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Best Cheese Shops in Detroit

Cheese Shop
(credit: Thinkstock)

There are all kinds of special days throughout the year, but on January 20, it is the day cheese lovers across the nation await because yes, it is National Cheese Day. Luckily for those of us who live in the Detroit area, there are plenty of places to find the best there is in cheese and these five top the list when it comes to finding a treat that all cheese lovers seek.

DeVries & Company 1887
2468 Market St.
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 568-7777
www.facebook.com/devries1887

When you have been in business for 129 years, you have to figure you are doing something right. And when it comes to cheese, DeVries does it right with over 200 varieties to choose from. Owner David DeVries says it is best to come down and try some samples. Be prepared on market days to be joined shoulder to shoulder by others who understand DeVries is the place to go. Each month, there is a featured cheese from around the world. In December it was Cotswold, which is Double Gloucester that is flavored with chive and onion. Along with the featured cheese, the DeVries Facebook page offers recipes and information on other products. While you are there picking up a wonderful piece of cheese, make sure to look over the other products that range from scones to fudge.

Related: Best Metro Detroit Bakeries For Birthday Cakes

Detroit Cheese Co.
1429 Gratiot Ave.
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 877-8339
www.randys-sausage.com/Detroit_Cheese_Co

A longtime business in the Eastern Market district, Randy's Sausage Shop decided in 2004 to expanded its store in the Gratiot Central Market to include the Detroit Cheese Co. With over 100 types of cheeses on hand ready to sell, the Detroit Cheese Co. offers up a wide selection of both domestic and imported cheeses. Varieties run the gamut from applewood-smoked English cheddar to classics like gouda and havarti. Cheeses are available in blocks, wheels and sliced, depending upon the variety.

Zingerman's Delicatessen
422 Detroit St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 663-3354
www.zingermansdeli.com

A lot of people who head to Ann Arbor know Zingerman's Deli as just that, a deli where you can find a great meal, but there is much more when it comes to cheese. Zingerman's offers up a wide variety of cheeses from across the state, country and world. Varieties like Westcombe Cheddar, which is one of the only three remaining unpasteurized cheddars bound in cloth and made in southwest England, or Raw Milk Stilton Cheese, which is only made at small-scale artesian dairies, are available at Zingerman's. Regardless of what kind of cheese you are looking for, odds are you will find it here.

Related: Best Wineries in Southeast Michigan

Main Street Cheese Market
412 W. Main St.
Brighton, MI 48116
(810) 229-6711
www.mainstreetcheesemarket.com

If you are looking for a cheese shop that gives you the feel of being in Europe, then the Main Street Cheese Market is the place to go. There are cheeses from just about any country you can think of. You will find some from places you normally think of like Italy or France, but there are also Irish, Welsh and Bulgarian varieties too. And not to be forgotten, there are cheeses from local Michigan dairies. Main Street Cheese Market also offers you the chance to enjoy unique crepes, coffees and other treats and to browse a wide selection of Michigan-made products.

Westborn Market Livonia
14925 Middlebelt Road
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 524-1000
www.westbornmarket.com

When you have someone like David DeVries of DeVries Co. in Eastern Market mention that Westborn Market in Livonia offers a great selection of cheeses, you listen. At Westborn Livonia, you will find a walk-in cheese room that is stocked with literally hundreds of varieties of cheeses from around the world. There are experts who will explain the different types of cheeses and offer a taste so  you can judge for yourself. Here you will find classics like Parmigiano Reggiano and English Blue Stilton and specialty cheeses like manchego which is made from the milk of sheep raised in LaMancha in Spain. There are also artisan cheeses like Laura Chenel's fresh goat cheeses and the Point Reyes Original Blue, made without artificial colors.

Award winning freelance writer and photographer Lawrence DiVizio is based in Southeast Michigan and works to convey in words and images the world around us. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
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