Cheese Shops We Love: Houston Dairymaids

Location:

2201 Airline Dr, Houston, TX 77009

A Texas Cheese Star

Houston Dairymaids launched in 2006 at a farmers market hosted by Chef Monica Pope, the “Alice Waters of the Third Coast.” Lindsey Schechter offered a selection of Texas cheeses straight from local farms she and her team had visited throughout the state, and the customers loved it.

“The cheeses were an immediate hit,” says Lindsey Schechter. “When chefs kept coming to the market to pick up cheese for their restaurants, we decided to focus on developing a wholesale company.” In February 2012, Schechter opened her Houston Dairymaids retail shop.

Over the years, the shop has expanded its offerings to include wine, cured meats, and other cheese accompaniments. The cheese selections have also evolved since the shop’s opening. While still providing customers with delicious local cheese, the shop also began offering other varieties beyond Texas.

Some things may have changed over the years, but the shop’s mission and goals have remained the same: promoting Texas cheesemaking by being friendly and knowledgeable cheesemongers in the community and creating a fun space to learn and grow.

The Store

Houston Dairymaids is located in the Houston Heights neighborhood, housed in a former Sicilian grocery store that dates back to the 1930s. Inside, there is a large glass cheese case which holds over 150 different cheeses. The focus is on American artisan and farmstead cheese and cheese from Texas. The shop offers daily free guided tastings for customers providing five different cheeses to sample with new selections added weekly.

The store also has a large selection of “cheese-friendly wines,” says Schechter, and shelves stocked with local honey, jams and seasonings. “To complement the cheeses, we carry fresh bread from Artisana Bakery, honey, olives, and American-made salami.”

Top-Selling Cheeses

Pure Luck Chevre

This goat’s milk cheese is made at a farmstead dairy in Dripping Springs, Texas. It is molded in a cheese basket and can come in different varieties, such as plain or pressed in either red chili, mixed herbs, or black pepper. It is “smooth, bright, and addictive,” says Schechter. “This is a favorite of both chefs and shop customers as it is perfect both for use in recipes and for enjoying on its own. It’s my favorite, too."

Redneck Cheddar

This raw milk cheddar comes from the Veldhuizen Family Farm, a pasture-based dairy in Dublin, Texas. It is made with Texas beer and has a “grassy, meltable, with a subtly malty finish,” says Schechter. “Redneck cheddar is versatile, crowd-pleasing, and has a great name.”

Reading Raclette

This raw cow’s milk cheese is modeled after a traditional Swiss Raclette but is made in Spring Brook Farm Cheese in Reading, Vermont. It’s a semi-soft cheese that is aged for about three months and has a creamy texture with a nutty profile. “We love this Vermont version because it’s approachable but never boring, says Schechter. “Chefs are using it for all sorts of melting applications, but we’ve also seen more shop customers come in for Reading because they are hosting raclette parties.”

Also Look For

The Dairymaids To-Go Bag offers five different kinds of cheese that rotate weekly and include soft cheese, semi-hard, and hard cheeses along with a blue. Each bag comes with cheese descriptions and gift wrapping is available for an extra fee. Customers can order it online and have it sent directly to their homes or can choose to pick it up at the store. For those looking to complement the cheeses, there is an additional Accompaniment Bag that’s filled with salami, prosciutto, almonds, and crackers.