Julian Dell’Oso’s love of all things culinary began long before he opened his cut-to-order cheese shop, Amabel Provisions, last August.
“My aunt had an Italian cookie business she ran out of her house, and from there it was restaurants, beginning at 15 years old,” Julian recalls. “It’s been food and wine ever since.”
After the pandemic, Julian noticed a major gap in Buffalo’s quality cheese selection, an unfilled niche left by Jill Gedra’s Nickel City Cheese & Mercantile. Visits to Hudson Valley cheese shops inspired him to usher in a new era for Buffalo cheese connoisseurs.
He teamed up with his husband, Clayton, to open his Elmwood Village store, featuring a selection of 30 to 40 cheeses on any given day. But don’t let the assortment intimidate you.
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“We want you to be able to taste something before you bring it home,” Julian says. "You’re welcome to try most of the cheeses. Everything is cut and wrapped to order.”
Though some visitors stop in looking for cheese they might find at the local grocery store, it’s not uncommon for them to leave with something entirely different and unique at Amabel.
Besides a diverse variety of domestic and European cheeses, there is a curated retail section of small-producer goodies not found anywhere else in Western New York. Hungry? Grab something off the seasonal rotating sandwich menu. The shop hosts themed classes and offers catering, including meat and cheese trays, for special occasions.
While there are a few small tables inside the shop currently, Julian plans to expand seating outdoors as the weather improves.
Fromage enthusiasts can take their cheese love to the next level by exploring Amabel’s monthly cheese club. It’s a zero-risk, all-reward way to discover new and exciting cheeses, hand-picked by Julian. The subscription includes four cheeses paired with accoutrements, plus notes to guide your palate’s journey.
For the pungent-averse, there’s a “stinky cheese” opt-out, though Julian thinks experimenting is what makes the experience intriguing.
“I have fun creating the themes and including new cheeses I’m excited about,” he says. “It’s a great way to get people to try something they may not have tried."
Perfect pairings with Julian
Jean Faup Bethmale Chevre
French Pyrenees
Pasteurized goat’s milk
“This cheese was initially sent to us by mistake, but from the moment I tasted it, I have been in love. It’s lightly brine-washed and aged about three months with a fudgy texture and a grassy note closer to the rind. A simple salted flatbread cracker and something a little citrusy. We have an orange marmalade with saffron right now that I think would celebrate its proximity to Spain.”
Grey Barn Bluebird
Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
Organic raw cow’s milk
“I think a bit of sweetness to mellow the cheese is perfect, but it definitely doesn’t need anything extra. I would have this with a Potter’s Crackers winter wheat cracker and a bit of chestnut honey.”
The Farm at Doe Run Springdell
(formerly Creamery Collection #17)
Chester County, Pa.
Pasteurized goat’s and cow’s milk
“I first had this cheese last summer when the American Cheese Society Conference was in town. It’s aged Gouda in style with an Alpine twist. It’s full of crystals with a butterscotch and nut flavor that is truly fantastic. I like this with Effie’s Oatcakes (the perfect crumbly sweet and salty biscuit) and maybe a touch of the caramelized pear jam we have from Eat This Yum.”
