Sweet Cheesie Genius: Shirlington gets a hint of Del Ray’s Cheestique Cheese and Wine Shop and Eatery
Shirlington is the pulse of the beating heart of South Arlington Real Estate. Why, you ask? It is the vibrant shops like Periwinkle, Le Village Marche and restaurants that draw lines a mile long when it comes for feeding time. It is no wonder that Del Ray’s Cheesetique decided to open a second store in Shirlington in the old Curious Grape location near the Ping and Aroma restaurants. They had their official launch on December 26, 2011, but they are starting to get their crowds much like their sister store in Del Ray. On Thursday, I headed over to Cheesetique with a friend and client to see what the crowd was doing forming outside the door, the liveliness was apparent since everyone was gleefully tasting floral cheeses and bold wines while waiting to be seated. Thankfully, my client and I had just had a bite to eat down the street at Aroma, so we were stuffed, but we totally wanted to see what the fuss was about! We grabbed to-go menus and were surprised and delighted with the offerings.
Today, my husband and I had the chance to go back down to Shirlington after taking out two dogs for a long walk and dog park
adventure- so we wanted to treat ourselves to something new so we thought- hey! Let’s check out that Cheestique place! Good call. At 2:30 on a Super Bowl Sunday, Cheesetique’s amiable and knowledgeable staff took great care of us, sharing details about the new cheeses on the menu and what to pair with what. It was a lovely, late Sunday lunch. As we enjoyed our three cheese plate with fresh Cherve, Prima Donna and another amazing French delight that I can’t pronouce… fun stuff. I would have been full with that, but opted, glutinously for the devilishly good grown-up grilled cheese and a small tomato soup. Drew ha
d the Croque Monsieur which he was super-impressed with. Full. I am so full. I can’t think straight. Enjoy some fresh local cheeses from local Virginia Farmers and even some Virginia wines. The wait staff was so nice, and on the ball. Even when at 3 in the afternoon, people started to pile into the shop and eatery again, they remained on their A-game!
It may be that they are on their A-game because it is Super-Bowl Sunday, or just because that is how they do it in Shirlington. They must know that to stay on top of the pulse of the South Arlington real estate crowd and keep people coming back for more- which we will be… you have to be good at what you do. Cheesetique did it in Del Ray, and now they have done it again in Shirlington. Go visit them at 4056 Campbell Ave; Arlington, VA 22206 and have a ball in South Arlington.
