I’m kind of obsessed with the new Adele song, River Lea (I bet you thought I was going to say Water Under the Bridge), but I think it should be called Riverdel because MAN does this place deserve its own song. In case you don’t know, Riverdel is a (new) gourmet vegan cheese shop in Brooklyn, New York and it will make all of your fancy, schmancy, vegan cheese dreams come true.
Because if you’re reading this you’re probably a vegan genius, you may have already surmised that they carry an enormous variety of vegan, artisanal cheeses, as well as non-dairy yogurt and nut milk–all of which come in versions made in house. In addition, they carry fresh bread, crackers, and the like: vehicles for said cheese, as well as freshly prepared sandwiches.
It seems that there is always a generous sampling going on, so you’re likely to have the opportunity to try a brand or flavor new to you. I tried the housemade smoked “Billy,” as well as the Sichuan Pepperberry from Cheezehound; both were phenomenal. Also super impressed by the clearly marked “clean” and “used” toothpick receptacles; this place does not miss a detail.
Half of the shop is dedicated to a finely curated array of gourmet foods–kind of like those European fine foods shop that lure you in with the promise of vegan items until you run out of patience for the drudgery of the hunt (note to Riverdel, please start carrying Vivani).
According to their website, they hope to eventually add wine and local beer to their repertoire, so there’s that too.
I really can’t think of any better way to sell this refined shop other than to tell you that it’s filled with all of the yummy things people think they’ll have to live without if they go vegan. Suckers!