Cheese Shops We Love: Small Goods Cheese Shop & Cafe

Location

7524 La Jolla Blvd La Jolla, CA 92037

After living in both New York and Byron Bay, Australia, Mike and Jenny Eastwood retired from their careers in commercial television production to set up shop—literally—in San Diego. Nestled within La Jolla steps away from the Pacific Ocean, Small Goods Cheese Shop & Cafe has become a local community staple. Located just shy of the town’s well-beaten Girard Avenue, tourists and locals alike seek out the cozy cafe for both a sense of camaraderie and adventure.

“We rotate our cheeses at least once a week,” explains Jenny, cheesemonger and co-owner of Small Goods. “There’s always something new coming and going so you get a wide variety of things. I don’t really run into too many people that have a problem with that although people have cottoned on to their favorites.”

Focusing on American Cheeses & Cheesemakers

Small Goods exclusively represents American makers, with a focus on California. “Our cheeses come from all around the country, as will the cured meats, but everything else we try and keep local to farmers market products.” As a fellow farmers’ market startup, the brick and mortar location was finally opened in 2020, just 3 weeks shy of the pandemic. “As a kid, growing up in the Midwest and around farmers, I worked farmers’ markets for my family and friends,” Jenny explains. When the Eastwoods moved to California, they found a shortage of small-batch dairy products. “We were at the mercy of bigger businesses and whatever L.A. wanted to send down.” Jenny and Mike began sourcing and selling small batch cheeses at farmers markets around San Diego, taking note of what customers wanted and which neighborhood felt like the right fit for their eventual brick and mortar.

A certified cheese professional, Jenny makes it her mission to highlight small, local farmers. (Learn how to become a certified cheese professional.) “It’s an unforgiving job and a tough business, especially here in the United States.” Jenny’s husband and Small Goods’ co-owner, Mike, adds “People think that good cheeses can only come from European makers. We love to flip those stereotypes.”

Together, Mike and Jenny have sourced cheeses from every single state in the country. “75% were fairly easy but then you get to states like Louisiana or Arizona where it’s hard to farm dairy animals. We really had to dig in there but we did it!” Jenny describes. Both describe the most rewarding part of their job to be the people they get to work with. “One of the benefits of working exclusively with American makers is that these people are there for us and we’re there for them,” Mike says. “That’s worth its weight in gold.”

The Store

Small Goods Cheese Shop and Cafe is a 1200-square foot shop with an airy, coastal feel. Unencumbered by tables and chairs, the cheese case is the main attraction of the store and customers can linger in front of it. Along the right side of the store, visitors can peruse comestibles like soups and breads along with cheeseboard and charcuterie accouterments like crackers, jams, honeys, and pickled peppers. To the left is a cozy area made up of a couch and small coffee table, which often serves as a base point for Mike to plan out ornate cheese and charcuterie boards with catering clients. Dogs are welcome; in fact, frequent four-legged visitors to Small Goods (or its farmer’s market stand) have their photographs up on a wall towards the back of the shop.

Top Selling Cheeses

Prairie Breeze Cheddar

Hailing from Milton Creamery, this white-style cheddar cheese is aged for nine months. “It’s an incredible cheddar that’s crunchy and crystalline with a great acidic tang,” says Jenny. “We’ve never put it in front of anyone that hasn’t [called it] amazing.” Read more about Prairie Breeze.

Central Coast Creamery Goat Gouda

With locations in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo, Central Coast Creamery has won multiple awards for its 100% goat’s milk gouda cheese. Aged for four to six months, the pearly-white cheese has a fruity aroma with flavors reminiscent of late summer to early fall apples and hints of freshly mowed grass.

Shooting Star Leo

An offshoot of Central Coast Creamery, Shooting Star is an ode to risk-taking in cheese making. “Their cheeses are crowd-pleasing and the Leo is utterly outstanding,” vouches Jenny. The Leo is a sheep’s milk cheese with a bloomy rind and pasted texture, with earthy notes of sourdough, mushrooms, and chives. Read more about Shooting Star Creamery and Central Coast Creamery.

Also Look For

Going on a road trip? Pick up one of Small Goods’ ‘beach boxes’ for a perfect mix of cheeses, cured meats, nuts, and dried fruits. Looking for something heftier? Mike has gained a reputation for being a sandwich soothsayer despite insisting there’s nothing “mystical or proprietary” about his method, focusing instead on “the quality of the ingredients.” His sandwiches were named runner up for best sandwich in San Diego by San Diego Magazine in June of 2023.