Cincinnati Cheese Shop Visit! The Rhined
Has anyone else made the drive from Chicago to Cincinnati? Phew – there are a couple truly grueling stretches of highway on that route! Nevertheless, we persisted and eventually made it to our final destination, Cincinnati, Ohio!
I attended the University of Cincinnati (studied Civil Engineering if you can believe it 🥴) and was a few years overdue for a Homecoming Weekend. Even though we had a full itinerary of friend reunions, football, and visiting the old off-campus haunts, I knew we still needed to squeeze in a little cheese time! I really wanted to visit Urban Stead Cheese after trying their gouda at Old Brooklyn Cheese Co., in Cleveland, but alas their hours conflicted with the aforementioned football and friend times. Next time!
Luckily, there’s more great cheese to be had in Cincinnati. The Rhined is an adorable cheese shop directly across the street from Findlay Market, in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood (you get the spelling now?). The cheesemonger team at The Rhined primarily focus on domestic, small batch cheese and offer many regional selections. My kind of case! They have a cute little dine-in bar as well as a “secret garden” in the courtyard behind the shop. Their menu includes cheese flights, charcuterie, conserva, and sandwiches and they make truly gorgeous cheeseboards and catering spreads as well!
They have a sister space, The Bloom Room, where they host all sorts of educational cheesy “get cultured” events. Tarot readings plus autumnal wine and cheese pairings? Consider me inspired! I had myself a truly wonderful afternoon – a manicure at Spruce (a mani so good it’s still on my nails 3.5 weeks later as I write this post!) followed by a cheese flight at The Rhined (plus a glass of rosé since I was having myself *an afternoon*). I suggest anyone in the vicinity of OTR follow my lead – you won’t be disappointed!
And that concludes our Midwestern Cheese Shop Tour! We made our way back to the island, happy, inspired, full of cheese, and with a few more friends who are also on this cheese shop ownership path right along with us. Every visit you make to a local, independent cheese shop is an immediate investment in the local community and regional agriculture. Eat more cheese and feel good about doing your part!
