Beecher's Handmade Cheese - New York

"National cheese maker Beecher’s Handmade Cheese has closed its Manhattan restaurant after more than a decade. In a message shared online, the company attributed the closure to the pandemic." - Luke Fortney

"While it’s pretty hard to screw up a grilled cheese sandwich, the oversized, overstuffed versions here are made using Beecher’s own cheese, a lot of which is made right on site (watching the cheese makers do their thing through the massive windows is nothing short of mesmerizing). The main café is ideal for weekday lunches and the Cellar downstairs is a more dressed-up small-plates-and-wine restaurant. And if you need a hostess gift but are short on time, the nuts, jams, small but mighty selection of wine, and of course, cheeses, pack up nicely. "

"While it’s pretty hard to screw up a grilled cheese sandwich, the oversized, overstuffed versions here are made using Beecher’s own cheese, a lot of which is made right on site (watching the cheese makers do their thing through the massive windows is nothing short of mesmerizing). The main café is ideal for weekday lunches and the Cellar downstairs is a more dressed-up small-plates-and-wine restaurant. And if you need a hostess gift but are short on time, the nuts, jams, small but mighty selection of wine, and of course, cheeses, pack up nicely. "

"The other four branches of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, a smalltime cheese manufacturer, are located in Washington State. The cheese we’re talking about is not mozzarella, either, but artisanal American cheese of a cheddary sort, made on the premises in a vast vat that takes up space on the ground floor. That floor is where you can score mac and cheeses and grilled cheese sandwiches in a relaxed setting, making an agreeable lunch. Downstairs is a wine bar that showcases small plates, many of which unsurprisingly involve cheese. This place is worth visiting, not only for its casseroles and sandwiches, but for its dissimilarity to other cheese focused establishments in the city." - Eater Staff

"This Seattle import’s deft touch with aged dairy is on display in its mac and cheese, with a sharp yet creamy mix of a cheddar-Gruyere mix, Jack, and some cream for good measure. Most unusual is its choice of noodle: penne, which makes for a toothsome experience. While it doesn’t need any accessorizing, optional add-ons include pork belly; crab, Old Bay aioli, and bread crumbs; or balsamic mushrooms and fennel. It’s offered downstairs in the Cellar restaurant portion, as well as for takeaway by the cup upstairs in the Cafe." - Alexandra Ilyashov