Callee 1945, Oneida: Say cheese!

I love cheese. So, when I heard there’s a new cheese shop and tasting room in downtown Oneida, I thought: What a gouda idea! (Sorry, I can’t resist a pun.)

The shop, Callee 1945, opened in September and is owned and operated by Abbey Woodcock and her husband, KC Baney. The business got its start last year as a two-day Black Friday cheese pop-up shop at the Oneida Freelance Co-Op. The couple was looking for a storefront, and eventually decided on the space at 134 Main St.

The shop is a roomy space with a cheese counter, a high-top table for four at the front window, bar and table seating throughout and comfortable sofas and chairs for those who want to relax for a while.

The cheese selection changes weekly, with new arrivals joining mainstays like Swiss Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy in the case. Customers can sample up to three cheeses for free. I opted to do a tasting sampler of eight cheeses with pairings ($9). KC was behind the counter the day I visited. I told him I had never met a cheese I didn’t like, except for limburger, and let him surprise me.

The samples were small – and presented beautifully on slate trays, with the selections spelled out in chalk. They ranged from a super creamy Swiss cheese from California (Holey Cow) paired with Marcona almonds to a caramel-colored, somewhat sweet Gjetost cheese from Norway, paired with a square of dark chocolate.

 Also offered were:

• Red Dragon, a cheese from Wales flavored with brown ale and studded with mustard seeds (paired with a pickle slice)
• Jake’s Aged Gouda, from nearby Deansboro (paired with a whiskey jam)
• Red Butte Hatch Chile cheese with a hint of zing, from Beehive Cheese in Utah (paired with cured meat)
• Drunken Goat, a Spanish cheese cured in red wine (paired with red grapes)
• Kunik, a rich, triple crème cheese from Nettle Meadow Farm in the Adirondacks, made from a combination of goat’s milk and cow cream (served on a vegan sourdough cracker)
• Punchy Point Reyes Original Blue cheese from California (paired with a sleeve of honey)

KC gave me plenty of time to savor the pairings and came by to answer questions. I really liked the Kunik, which is like a French brie or Camembert, and headed home with a Kunik mini wheel (3.5 ounces) from refrigerator case of pre-cut cheeses. I asked KC to recommend a good melting cheese for grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese. He suggested a Swiss Gruyere.

While you’re waiting for your sampler or deciding which cheese or cheeses to purchase at Oneida’s first specialty food store, have a look at everything else in the shop. Callee 1945 has cutting/cheese/charcuterie boards and everything that goes with cheese: crackers, jams and jellies, tapenades, cured meats, chocolate, nuts, honey and more. In addition to dairy cheeses, the shop offers several plant-based cheeses and cheese sauces, plus a “salami” made with figs.

If this shop is missing anything, it’s wine to sip with cheese. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. KC said they hope to obtain a liquor license.

Having a party? Callee 1945 offers catering and custom cheese boards.

Don’t feel like making lunch? The shop offers “Grown Up Lunchables’’ – artisan cheese and meat bites, packaged and ready to go.

Feeling adventurous? Callee 1945 offers an unusual pairing of sweet and savory, in the form of a chocolate chip cookie from nearby HipStir Café topped with a wedge of Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese and a drizzle of honey. I didn’t sample this offering, but I did stop at HipStir Café for a coffee, a Half Moon cookie and a couple almond paste cookies to go.

About the shop’s name: Woodcock grew up on her grandparents’ dairy farm in Durhamville, Baney said, and Callee 1945 is an homage to them. The name is a melding of their first names (Cal and Leah Janes) and the year they founded their farm.

Thanks to my friends Julie McCoy and Kathy Pexton for recommending Callee 1945. I’m already looking forward to a return visit.

Callee 1945 is at 134 Main St., Oneida. The shop is open Wednesday to Saturday. Information: 315-367-0007. To stay up to date on cheese offerings and happenings, visit the website and scroll down to sign up for the weekly newsletter.

All photos © Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated. 

Comments

[Margaret @ Eat First]

Thanks for reading, Owen! I wish this place much success.

[Owen O'Neill]

Margaret - Great article. Wish I had enough time in Syracuse on my visits to allow trips to Oneida etc. but alas - it is not the case. Limburger is also the only cheese I've tried that I truly dislike. When we see each other again, remind me to share my Limburger story!