Local Cheese?

As I do around this time every year, I realize there's something hard to find around here.
This year, I'm holding a party with a theme of Chicago neighborhoods, and I'm wondering if there's an appropriate set of cheeses that would represent local manufacturers.

The only thing I've been able to find so far is Stamper's, and they normally only appear at farmers' markets (I've got a message to them on their facebook page, tho). Anything else I should be looking at? Queso fresco is easy enough (and I'm using it in a dish).

A couple of friends of mine made a cheese "cake"for their wedding (basically they tiered a bunch of cheese to look like a cake instead of having a traditional cake) and got the cheeses from a place called Great American Cheese Collection. It's located in the Plant building in the back of the yards neighborhood and apparently they were very cool to work with. It has a fairly useless website but might have more information on their facebook page.

Stampers is great, and, if folks don't know, does periodic winter "cheese drops" around holidays at various sites across the city; we get ours in Lincoln Square. There is a cheese drop on December 17th and you have to email your order in by the 12th. Just FYI.

Great American Cheese Collection
1400 W 46th Street
greatamericancheese.com

Last time I was at Roots Pizza marveling about how great their mozzarella sticks are, I was informed not only do they make the sticks, they make the mozzarella. On their catering menu, they are available in bite-sized form, and they were a hit when I brought some to a neighborhood housewarming party.

How about some Chicago Cheese? It seems ubiquitous in Dearborn MI (where a lot of it is made and these photos were taken), but it's not hard to find around Kedzie & Lawrence or on Devon. You might even find some locally-made Chicago Cheese.

The cheesemonger at Local Foods is really knowledgeable - if they don't have Chicago cheese, I bet they'd know who does.

I stopped in Walnut, IL, on my way home from Iowa last month, to visit Avanti Foods, since I'd previously tried one of their cheeses and enjoyed it. Their website says they no longer produce cheese at the Walnut site, but that they use several local manufacturers. So might be a resource for finding out who the local cheese makers are -- though I realize that it might depend on how you define "local," since it's about an hour west.
https://www.avantifoods.com/

I think I recognize the Chicago cheese sign: Hashems Nuts and Coffee Gallery on Warren Ave. in Dearborn?

annak wrote:The cheesemonger at Local Foods is really knowledgeable - if they don't have Chicago cheese, I bet they'd know who does.

Best cheesemonger around - ridiculous knowledge - and definitely some Illinois cheese.

Cyriaco wrote:I think I recognize the Chicago cheese sign: Hashems Nuts and Coffee Gallery on Warren Ave. in Dearborn?

Correct! And the shot of the cheese itself is from Super Greenland Market on Warren, a few blocks east of Hashems. Both excellent stores.

Here's a brief explanation for those unfamiliar with it: "Chicago Cheese is a fresh, white cheese with mild salt and fresh, curdy texture. Popularized in Detroit’s Arabic community over the past several decades, it is now recognized nationally." I believe it first came to Detroit and Dearborn through a Chicago distributor. As I said above, it's not hard to find in Chicago. Try Al Khyam (4738 N Kedzie) or World Fresh Market (2434 W Devon).