Murray's Cheese

See all classes taught at Murray's Cheese

Greenwich Village, New York, New York

(404 Reviews)

The History of New York's Oldest and Best Cheese Shop: Murray Greenberg (never met him; he died before I got here) was a Jewish Spanish civil war veteran and communist who opened a wholesale butter and egg shop a few doors up Cornelia street in 1940. The old timers tell me that even though he was an old leftie, he was still a street smart capitalist who used to buy cheese cheap and trim it and sell it. In the 70's he sold the shop to his clerk Louis Tudda, an Italian immigrant from Calabria. The old shop was used like a bodega or a Korean deli is today; not only cheese was sold but cheap oil and tomatoes to the locals, who were predominantly Italian back in '91 when I bought the shop. That's changing now. I'd left the family supermarket business in '85 to do full service specialty shops in New Jersey, where I was from. When my shop, in Princeton tanked with the crash of '87, I wound up in my brother's old apartment here in the Village (he's a lawyer and he'd moved to L.A.), wondering what to do with my life next. One day, when I was in line at the original shop, I heard Louis say he'd lost his lease and was closing. I made him an offer and moved the shop to the corner of Bleecker, where we stayed 14 years, until November '04, when we moved to our current location at Bleecker and Leroy. Frankie came with the shop; he lived around here and had been the delivery boy, then a counterman through college, and stayed here when his folks returned to the island of Malta where they were from. Louis himself worked for a year before he went back home. We'd hang out behind the counter selling cheap cheese, mostly commodity stuff bought on deal. Around ten years ago we got serious about the good stuff, and at first we couldn't sell it. Now we can't keep it in stock! The first line we got in was Neal's Yard Dairy cheese, and boy, did it sit there in the case. The old neighborhood is changing. Zito's bread, older than Murray's even (1920) is gone, and so is the pioneer of all, Balducci's up on 9th St. (Citarella's there now). But the new customers are a lot younger and hipper. We always had a good staff, though this is by far the best. I'm often grouchy, but everyone else was, and is, really very nice. Go figure. And the business grows each year. These days I can barely keep up on all the new stuff that's going on: we have a kitchen, a new web site, mail order, a gift catalog, a classroom and cheese caves. It's not quite anarchy but it's certainly not corporate. It's the Village: artists, folkies, poets, creative types have made this their home for over a century. Our shop in Grand Central even has the feel of it. The main thing is to let the customers see our passion, that's what it's all about. Turn them on to whatever we've got going. Taste it yourself. My Grandpa, whose own store is in a picture above the dairy case (ca. 1925), and an immigrant (Russian Jewish) himself, always said, in that sort of accent of his, 'go on, take a taste.' Nothing's changed, I suppose. We tell them, 'here, take a taste.' --Rob

Reviews of Murray's Cheese

(404 Reviews)

7/12/2017
Alan S.

Attended: Cheese 101

This was my first course through CourseHorse and I've been recommending the service all day. I was extremely pleased with the venue, format, and instructor at Murray's Cheese and had an amazing time. Will definitely be on the lookout for more courses.

7/3/2017
Daniela L.

Attended: Wine & Cheese 101

Murray's (the venue) is regarded as one of the best chartreuseries in NYC so I was super excited for the class ahead of time and had high expectations. The class did not disappoint me in any way; I would highly recommend it and would not change anything about it! The cheeses and wines were delicious and the pairings were customized for the summer season. The teachers were price-conscious and chose pairings and brands that we could buy regularly or take to parties. This class would be great for people with no knowledge of cheese or wine because the teachers explain everything thoroughly and welcome any/all questions. The teachers are clearly knowledgeable and create a lighthearted, non-pretentious atmosphere that I really enjoyed. There is not much time to hold private conversations within the class so you should not come to this event expecting to use it as an opportunity to catch up with someone, though you can certainly do that next door after the class at Murray's wine/cheese bar (you get a discount at Murray's the day you take the class, I think).

7/2/2017
Nancy G.

Attended: Cheese 101: American Artisan Cheese

I absolutely loved this class. The only thing I will criticize it is that the presenter has to talk louder for those of us who are a little bit older and can't hear as easily as the rest.

6/22/2017
Jason C.

Attended: Cheese 101

Great introduction to cheese. The class offered a tasting of 6 varieties, which paired very well with the prosecco and wine. Bread, dried fruits and nuts were also available to pair with the cheeses. The instructor was very knowledgeable of the production and history of each cheese and offered great suggestions on how to enjoy the cheeses with other foods. Tip: Don't eat before the class!

6/14/2017
Tulio H.

Attended: Wine & Cheese 101

First, the two presenters were very knowledgeable and friendly. Presentation and seating facilities were excellent. As a way of feedback, I do wish there was more variety of wines and cheeses. Fewer whites, more reds. The Cardamaro, a digestivo, did not belong at all with the paring of cheeses. Neither did the Lambrusco, which, as an apperitivo was excellent, it just didn't belong around the cheese.

5/31/2017
Anonymous

Attended: Cheese 101

The class was great. I learned a lot about cheese. I didn't get to talk to my seated neighbors enough. Though. It felt kind of awkward. I think in the beginning the host should initiate a recommendation and alott some time to introduce ourselves to each other and for us to share our nuts/cherries/apricots/etc. with each other. Because I spent some time feeling awkward sitting so close to people and wondering....,. I'm glad to know more about cheese now. I also didn't get ANY refills on my wine. Granted I didn't drink an insane amount. But I did drink some..... and my wine should have been filled to the top like every ten minutes for the amount that I paid. The girl also didn't answer my question when I asked it. Thankfully someone asked the same thing ten minutes later. Thanks!

5/30/2017
Evgeniya O.

Attended: Wine & Cheese 101

Everything was amazing. Great wine and cheeses. Also very beautiful presentation.

5/24/2017
Anonymous

Attended: Viva Italia: An Italian Feast

Great wine and cheese and very thoughtful guides. Unfortunately, the class (at least with the particular group that showed up) was not for anyone with a more serious interest in wine or cheese, or even for someone who wanted to be able to hear the descriptions.

5/10/2017
Anonymous

Attended: Cheese 101

Room and setup excellent. Instructor very personable but was not as smooth. .