While I was searching for a place that sells sweet treat, I came across this cheese shop – a quite unlikely place for sweets. What I was after was some macarons, and yes, they had them! So, all intrigued and curious, we headed to Inwood Gourmet. They sell local cheese, some special and artisan, including vegan kind. They also have all kinds of olives, and Greek items.  And, according to their sign, “best bagels EVER” are also sold.

The inside was not too big, there were two ladies, possibly the owner and her daughter? They were very nice and greeted us with a smile. They didn’t really bother us while we looked around, until we asked questions about some of the things they have.

The most noticeable items in the store were these silver containers, and whole lots of olives. The containers had different kinds of olive oil and vinegar, I thought they were awesome. You can have a little sample of each before deciding which one to buy, which was really cool and helpful.

Speaking of sampling, they had sample of cheese that they sell. It was Deer Creek artisan cheese called The Fawn from Wisconsin, and it was really good! It was velvety smooth, deep and flavorful. They had many artisan cheese there, if I need some specific kinds of cheese that are hard to find, I may find it here.

They also had some item in jars, I believe mainly Greek items. They did have more item on another shelf in front of the window, which had honey, sauce, etc.

Right by the counter, we found their bagels, which they claim to be really great. So, we decided to tested them out. We bought 2 mini bagels ($2/each). We were excited to try them out later.

And the item I really came here for, the macarons. Their macarons are made in NYC, and had good amount of varieties, especially for a cheese/Greek shop, not a sweet shop.

We got Orange Blossom, Rose Lychee, and Pistachio macarons ($2.50/each). They were nice and tasty, I love the lychee, but then again, I am a big fan of anything lychee, so it will be hard to make something with lychee that I would not find tasty. Anyways, the orange one had nice, subtle orange flavor, and pistachio had lots of small chunks of pistachio, which was great. They were all well made, creamy, moist, soft, pretty good.

The bagels were nice too. We actually turned them into egg salad bagels, and they came out really tasty. The bagels had good flavor, rich and moist, and although I am not sure if they were the “Best EVER,” but they certainly were good, quality bagels. and for $2 each, it was a great find.

 

And, I could not resist their artisan olive oil and vinegar. We got White Truffle Balsamic Vinegar and Blood Orange Olive Oil ($12/each). The lady told us some good tips. We can use regular olive oil to cook, but then drizzle the flavored one on top to add that extra special flavor. They are also great for any salads. I have to agree, they were so right about that. These are not cheap, but the quality is really high, and you don’t really use crazy amount of it, so they last for a while. They taste great, and bring up any salad or fish or whatever you are cooking to the next level. I am so happy I bought them, they are totally worth it.

Both ladies were really nice and helpful, and before I started to try to pour the olive oil into the bottle, the older lady asked if I wanted her to do it, as she is so much more used to it. Great help, I don’t know if I could have done it without making a mess. They also told me a bit about their cheese, and answered any and all questions we had. Really friendly, and that made it such a pleasant visit. I will definitely go back for more of their offering, especially when I finish my vinegar and oil.

Inwood Gourmet – 95 Cooper St, New York, NY