Cheese fans will already be familiar with the Cheese Bar and perhaps its owner, Steve Jones, who learned his trade at the legendary Neal’s Yard Dairy in London. He’s an advocate for fresh, quality farmhouses cheeses, appearing at events and tastings around town, and is always keen to share his enthusiasm and knowledge. For cheese buffs the question has been where would he open his next place?
While the desirable answer was “within a few blocks of my house”, Jones is headed downtown and it’s not exactly Cheese Bar 2—for a start, it’s called Chizu (Japanese for ‘cheese’), there’s no retail counter (the space, with 18 seats, isn’t large enough) and the cheese will be served ‘sushi style’; as Jones told Eater, “You can build your own experience.” For the adventurous (or procrastinators) there will also be an omakase option offering a selection put together by the house. It’s an update of the cheese trolley found in fancy restaurants, except here the waiter and formality have been ditched in favor of a Japanese feel that is casual and cozy.
Jones is promising the best 30-40 cheeses from Cheese Bar and there will be accompaniments such as pickles and cured meats, along with pairings of beer, wine, sake and cider. Construction has started on the interior and Chizu is expected to open in mid-February. Until the end of January there’s a chance to participate in a crowd funder involving folding origami cranes, a Japanese tradition for luck. Chizu, 1126 SW Alder, chizubar.com for further information on the Crane Project
