Orrman's Cheese Shop - Charlotte

This restaurant is fantastic! They have an incredible selection of cheeses, and the staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. Located right next door is Assorted Table, which can recommend wines to complement your choices. My personal favorite is their grilled cheese sandwiches; they offer a variety of delicious options (after all, it’s a cheese shop with grilled cheeses!). Without a doubt, they serve the best grilled cheeses in the city, and the wine and cheese events are absolutely worth checking out!

Let me get this out of the way first and foremost: I love cheese. I could eat cheese, fruit and crudités for every meal. But too much of a good thing doesn 't appeal to me, and for some odd reason raclette looked like too much of a good thing. I. Was. Wrong. As someone who works uptown I was familiar with Orman 's and their excellent grilled cheese sandwiches. My husband cajoled me into making reservations for their raclette event, traditionally Thursday evenings during winter...-another reason I was reluctant to go because once home I don 't want to go uptown again. Seemed like a waste of time. Once again...I. Was. Wrong. We turned up early for our reservation and welcomed by a staff who were surprisingly busy; it was nice to see Seventh Street Market active and well. Settling at the bar in front of the pair of raclette machines, we took out time with salads of fresh field greens and chatted with the fromager as he was preparing the heaters and our plates. The thing I like most about Orman 's is that the staff appear to genuinely love what they do and the product they sell. They were all happy to answer questions for two newcomers. Then came the raclette itself., heated to bubbly perfection and scraped carefully onto boiled fingerling potatoes. Also on the plate were slices of baguette and several cornichons, all part of the traditional French presentation, along with some locally made mustard. The raclette cheese was relatively mild and made specifically for this dish. (Yes, it 's called raclette cheese. it was hot but edible immediately, and...well, a fellow cheese lover told me it would be like fondue only better, and he was right. I took the first bite of cheese only to try it alone and it was everything I could want in life, gastronomically speaking. I would like to emphasize the importance of savoring this meal. We so often rush through meals, but raclette should be enjoyed slowly, each bite of potato and cheese and cornichon masticated with indulgent pleasure. (Oh yes...you do need to try the tiny pickles with the raclette and potato or baguette because it complements the cheese far more than one might expect. The Lusty Monk coarse ground mustard with the baguette and bit of raclette was a sincere joy to people like us who love a good mustard; a jar came home with us. I mean...we did pay for it. I was so melancholy when I came to the last bite of raclette and boiled potato, as one might imagine...but my mood was soon brightened by the dessert, included with our event meal: pot de crème au chocolat. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am not the biggest fan of sweets. Normally I would sample and pass on the rest to my spouse. But not this dessert. Silky smooth and rich, replete with the taste of finé chocolate, the pot was the best dessert I have enjoyed in years. You might assume, and rightfully so, that I give Orman 's my full-throated endorsement, but lest my fervor be mistaken for merely a raclette high, let me add that their offerings of cheese and charcuterie are extensive for a smallish shop, yet the staff knows that selection well. Along with that locally made mustard, we purchased some of the Toscana salami from my husband 's meal and two cheeses the clerks recommended. Orman 's is a treat, like a little Parisian holiday. Let 's make sure they have a long and bountiful future in the Queen City.

Holy smokes. I am so happy we found Orrmans! We ordered a meat and cheese platter to enjoy for Christmas day. Picked it up a couple days before, awesome selection, friendly and knowledgeable workers and the food (and our platter! was INCREDIBLE. Already looking forward to our next visit and whatever occasion arises so we can order another charcuterie board ?

Delicious sandwiches! They have an excellent selection of cheeses and the service is outstanding.

I stopped by for a light lunch and it was a delightful experience. The staff were not only friendly but also very knowledgeable, and they took care of our order promptly. The cheese selection is impressive, complete with detailed descriptions that tempt you to try each variety. It's a fantastic place to pick up some unique cheese by the pound or explore other interesting specialty items from their case. Conveniently situated on 7th Street, it’s easily accessible right by the line.