Nala's Cheese and Wine

The only good thing about a big move like the one I made to Wisconsin this month is the discoveries you make along the way, and one of those first big discoveries for me in the Green Bay area just happens to be a little ways down the road from me, Nala’s Cheese and Wine. I discovered this little gem just by looking around on google maps to see if there was anything interesting near me to check out when I went looking for groceries. Nala’s was in the complete opposite direction of the Aldi that I now choose to do most of my shopping at, but their website had me very intrigued.

I’ve had so much time the last few weeks to do whatever I want since I am still looking for a day job, so I got in the car and ran down to check out the little cheese shop that I spotted on google maps to see what it was all about. I got in very early, so I was the only person there other than the clerk. This made for an interesting and intimate shopping experience that I’ll remember fondly for a very long time.​

We talked for awhile about the shop itself and the cheeses and meats available in the two cold counters. Nala’s had been in the area for a long time and made it a mission to carry local cheeses as well as imports for the tasting pleasure of their customers. They started out as simply a cheese shop and expanded into also carrying wine a few years ago. Their penchant for supporting local producers is also on display in their small bread selection from Voyageurs Sourdough, and let me tell you, that bread is good! We’ll talk more about Voyageurs another time. This is about Nala’s, damn it!

Their cheese case is categorized from soft cheeses to hard cheeses, with imported and local cheeses mixed together within that categorization. You can sample almost anything without any additional charge so that you don’t wind up picking up a big hunk of cheese that it turns out you don’t like. If I had more time, I imagine I would have been trying a lot more cheese. We picked up a cheese called Beemster, which is from Dutch Cows. It’s a very hard cheese with a somewhat crystalline texture that has a very strong flavor. We’ve found it best to cut it with something acidic.

I also picked up a quarter pound of speck, dried and aged prosciutto, which saw a lot of use on sandwiches and grilled cheeses. It also had a starring role in a Sunday frittata that we ate completely. Nothing from Nala’s has been disappointing.

If you are in the Green Bay Area, you can visit Nala’s in Bellevue. If you’re outside of the area, you can order from their website. They have a number of offerings like a cheese of the month club that goes out in subscription boxes. It may be a good Christmas gift for the cheesehead (he he) in your family. They also have a facebook page that is updated regularly. If you're interested in what they offer, go ahead and share the love. Give them a like.

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