Photo: Art’s Specialities, Belmont’s new cheese and produce shop, on Trapelo Road.
When Artur Nergaryan came to the US from Armenia, he began to long for food he loved from his childhood. While the surrounding communities are well stocked with Armenian fare, he still could not find one product he yearned for: cheese.
So Nergaryan decided the best way to find what he wanted was to do it himself.
“So I made my own [cheese] and then wine, that’s how it started,” he said, soon developing an appreciation for all cheeses.
Next week (or hopefully as soon as this weekend), Nergaryan takes his hobby to the next level with the opening of Art’s Specialities in the former home of Diver Jim’s at 369 Trapelo Rd., across the street from the Studio Cinema.
The 1,700 sq.-ft. retail space will sell an entire array of products from cheese, olive oil, herbs, charcuteries (prepare meats including bacon, ham, sausage, pâtés and confit) as well as loose seeds, tea and nuts.
But the highlight will be more than 100 cheeses, most produced in the US and especially from New England.
“I’ve looked for cheese from local farms as they will have the freshness that people will desire,” said Nergaryan. And, no, he will not be selling his own cheese in his shop.
The store – open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends – will have two employees and hold cooking and health classes, said Nergaryan.
I stopped by this bright and fresh little shop the other night, drawn in by the pleasant glow among the dark storefronts of Trapelo. I left with two tasty, carefully recommended, freshly poured bottles of olive oil, a simple hunk of parmesan, a surprisingly robust New England cheddar from a company I’d never heard of but will buy from again and two of the most delicious chocolate bars my family has ever fight over. And did I mention how lovely and kind the shop owner was? The product, shop and service are top notch and it’s not a bank!!!
thank
So much for sharing .