Cheesetique Getting More Space, New Menu

Owner Jill Erber expanding offerings with some heartier choices

If the wait to get a table at Cheesetique has been a maddening endeavor in the past, well, things might be looking up. Del Ray’s favorite cheese and wine shop is about to get a lot bigger. Owner Jill Erber is putting the finishing touches on a new 40-seat dining room in the rear of the current restaurant. The new room features the familiar yellow, red and black color scheme but with a more rustic feel. The space will include a variety of different sized tables and a large shelf-lined wall for wine storage. The renovation, which doglegs behind HomeMade Pizza Co., also doubles the size of Cheesetique’s kitchen and will allow Erber to create a new vibe. “We’ll be pulling a table out and putting a sofa in the corner,” Erber said. “I wanted to …

• Photos (2)

Cheesetique To Open Second Location

Owner Jill Erber also moving forward with dining room expansion at current shop

Cheesetique, one of Del Ray’s destination businesses, will soon have a second location. Owner Jill Erber confirmed that she has applied for a liquor license in Arlington County and is working to have a second cheese shop and wine bar open in the Village at Shirlington this fall. Last month’s Village and Shirlington newsletter hinted at Cheesetique’s expansion. The new shop will move into where The Curious Grape is currently located, at 4056 Campbell Avenue in Arlington. With the Signature Theater and an AMC Lowes Theater nearby, the spot appears to be a fine place to grab customers before or after a stage play or art house flick. Erber said a need to accommodate customers all over the region prompted her decision to undergo the project. “…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (2)

Del Ray Dish

Fromage Fort

Leftover cheese makes a tasty spread

A fellow mom and friend asked me one day if I had heard of fromage fort. Cheese fort? Nope, never heard of that. She explained to me that it was a way to use up all your left over pieces of cheese. Brilliant! There are so many odds and ends in my refrigerator and not enough of one cheese to do anything with each brand.   So what is this thing anyway? After a little research, I found that fromage fort is a French cheese spread and that the phrase translates loosely to “strong cheese." Different cheeses are blended together with garlic, white wine, herbs and sometimes a leek broth or even ale to create a delicious toast spread. It is generally eaten in small quantities because of its strong nature. I gave it try and it was indeed a great way…

• Photos (2)