The Cheese Cave

THE CHEESE CAVE
14 Monmouth Street
Red Bank
732-842-0796

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11 am–6 pm; Fri, 11 am–9 pm; Sat, 10 am–6 pm; Sun, noon-4pm

Price: $

Style: This quaint market, its wooden shelves brimming with artisanal food products, has a handful of tables, chalkboard menus and an everyone-knows-everyone feel.

Don’t Miss: A carefully assembled cheese platter. The cheesemongers are knowledgeable and will help you pick a sampler suited to your taste. A three-cheese platter (choose from cow, goat or sheep’s milk) comes with sliced baguette, crackers, preserves, chutney, dried fruit and nuts ($15). Want something more substantial? Try a “sandwicheese.” The Rosa is made with salami rosa, asiago fresco, lightly roasted cipollini onions, arugula, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar on ciabatta ($8.95). The Spicy Bird combines roast turkey, habañero cheddar, Fourth Creek sweet red pepper relish and avocado on sliced sourdough panini. Appealing sides include marinated olives ($4) and grilled artichokes ($4).

Heads Up: From 5 to 8 pm every Friday, bring a bottle of wine and choose a cheese sampler for $5. No reservations required.

The Scoop: Since there are only a few small tables, patrons often have to wait. The good news is the food is worth waiting for.