Charcuterie Crawl: a Tour of Dallas' Best Cheese Boards

Picture this: a platter of cheeses, meats and fruits enticing you with their sweet and savory aromas. The flavors and textures dance in every bite. Whether you're entertaining guests or just munching with friends, a cheese board is the perfect accompaniment to any occasion. And if you're in Dallas, we've got the inside scoop on where to find the most delectable charcuterie in town.

Step into the world of artisanal cheeses and cured meats, and let us guide you to an unforgettable culinary experience.

Amor y Queso

@amoryqueso (pick-up at 2932 Main St.)

The story goes that founder Sarah Carlock loves to snack. And that's the story. Of course, there's more, silly! We jest. She also likes to invest all her time and energy into cheese. Amor y Queso has a storefront in Deep Ellum, but this summer has closed shop to concentrate on catering and online orders. So, yes, you can still get locally sourced boxes of cheese, meats, dried and fresh fruits with salty olives and nuts to balance all that.

The Box, 9 inches by 9 inches, is $55 and has a little bit of everything. Order online and pick it up at the shop in Deep Ellum at 2932 Main St.

Apero Cheese Boards

@aperocheeseboards

Wanting to let your charcuterie dreams take center stage at your next event? Look no further than Apero. The owner, Yasi Nik, used to assemble charcuterie for special occasions and would post the results on Instagram. As soon as people saw Yasi’s creations, they wanted a board of their own, and that’s how Apero was started. Apero uses high-quality cheeses and meats and organic fruits to customize boards to clients' needs. Since each board is different, there’s always something new to discover. Customers will get meats like prosciutto and salami, cheeses like goat and Parmesan, and an array of nuts, fruits and sweets. To really make it pop, every board is bedazzled with delicate flowers for a serious wow factor.

Boards range from $45 to $150 and can be ordered through Apero’s Facebook page.

The Art of Grazing

2740 Lipscomb St., Fort Worth

For a truly royal experience, visit The Art of Grazing in Fort Worth. From classic charcuterie boards to personal boxes filled with tantalizing treats, there's something for everyone. Classic charcuterie boards are available in five different sizes and offer cured meats, artisan cheeses, nuts, olives, fruits, chocolates, pickles, jam and much more. Founder Joki Springer is a graphic designer and likes to think of each box as a paint palette. That's not only edible, but amazing.

Classic Charcuterie Boards start at $95, and personal-sized start at $13. Cheese Club starts at $115, and classes start at $55.

Astoria Caffe and Wine Bar

15701 Quorum Dr., Addison

Astoria, a place for sophisticated snacking, can easily be described as a quaint European cafe. There are cheese plates, or if you're after a slightly heartier option, try the meat and cheese plate, which comes with two meats (Genoa salami for those who like it spicy; Toscana if you prefer traditional flavor), plus olives and all of the trimmings. And don't worry, carnivores, there's got a board dedicated to meats only if cheese isn’t really your thing. A large wine selection and coffee are available to wash it all down.

Astoria’s boards range from $18 to $22.

Boxed Bites

Multiple Locations

Boxed Bites boards are as good as they are gorgeous. Choose from over 15 different boxes, from solo snacking to impressing party guests. Indulge in the Cutie, offering one gourmet cheese and specialty meat alongside dried fruit and crunchy crackers, or go big with the Super Board that serves up 10 to 15 hungry mouths with meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits plus honey and fig spread. Try something sweet like the Breakfast Cutie, loaded with pastries, or the Dessert Cutie with cookies, brownies and chocolate.

Boxed is available online for pickup or delivery (depending on your location). Individual boards range from $15 to $45; the bigger boards range from $60 to $225.

The Fifth

2701 Custer Parkway, Richardson

The Fifth is a culinary gem hiding in Richardson's II Creeks Plaza retail center. There's a great patio to hang out, drink wine and nibble on C&C Board. The starter is loaded with house-cured meats and cheese, some local. They add seasonal items like grilled peaches in the summer. If that doesn't cure your cheese needs, go for the blue cheese fondue ($12), which is a skillet of warm blue cheese with roasted tomatoes, confit garlic, candied bacon and rosemary with focaccia bread.

Fount Board and Table

2414 Routh St.

Looking for a deliciously indulgent and Instagram-worthy food experience? Look no further than Fount. This is the Vanity Fair edition of snacking. Customizable displays ("boards" is too trite a word here) are the star of the show, overflowing with cheese and meats, crowned with juicy berries, fresh honeycomb and aromatic flowers. The possibilities are endless, from flower-coated goat cheese with herbs and petals to a rare air-dried Wagyu beef. If you're dining at the cafe, seek the selection of non-alcoholic wine, spirits and brews, perfect for sober folks or anyone who wants to avoid a hangover.

Fount’s in-house boards range from $15 to $175 and are subject to availability. Catering boards, which need to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance, range from $175 to $850.

Leela's Wine Bar

Multiple Locations

Craving something a little more adventurous than the classic meat and cheese board? Leela's has you covered with the smoked salmon board, with creamy Boursin cheese and rare bull's blood beet among other delicacies. Or go Mediterranean when ordering up romesco sauce, smoky carrot hummus, mozzarella salad, rosemary-smoked almonds, juicy tomatoes and crackers that taste like pizza crust (it probably is pizza crust). Traditionalists go for the classic meat and cheese board with house pimento, white Dublin cheddar, manchego, prosciutto, salametto picante (spicy salami), salame toscano (traditional salami), house pickles, fruit and those delicious pizza-crust crackers. And no charcuterie is complete without one (or several) glasses of wine, available on tap.

The smoked salmon board is $19, the Mediterranean is $24 and meat and cheese is $29.

Petra and the Beast

601 N. Haskell Ave.

If you're looking for a remarkable charcuterie experience, head to Petra's. Take The Beast Board: an extravagant selection of 10 house-cured meats with homemade mustard, pickles, jam and crackers. For something more in the snack sector, go for the cheese board, which comes with one soft bloomy rind, one blue and one semi-hard cheese. If you’re wanting to try the meat but don’t want to Beast out, grab the charcuterie and get six meats instead of ten, or order them a-la-carte at $16 to $18 each. Since Petra is farm-to-table, they rotate out the meat and cheeses. Each time you go you’ll get something different, which makes it all the more exciting.

Cheese Board is $25, Beast Board is $110 and Charcuterie is $55.

Pie Tap

Multiple Locations

Pie Tap’s cheese board is a one-way ticket to a cheesy heaven. Each board is accessorized with various toppings that change depending on availability, like fresh mozzarella cheese drenched in oil, tangy goat cheese drizzled in fresh honey and thinly sliced prosciutto. The pièce de résistance? A perfectly candied nut that sends your taste buds into overdrive. And let's not forget about the homemade bread, naturally leavened in Italian ovens. Check out the decadent Goat Cheese Fondue while you're at it.

Pie Tap's cheese boards are $16 each.

Sixty Vines

Multiple Locations

With 60 wines on tap and 12 cheese and meat options, you won't run out of creative combinations at Sixty Vines. Try the Jumi Schlossberger ALT (try saying that three times fast), cave aged for 18 months. Another cheese option is the Rogue Smokey Blue from Oregon with its delightful hint of hazelnut. Carnivores will want to savor every bite of Rosetta de Lyon French style salame for an added kick, thanks to wine and cracked pepper, or Fra Mani Sopressata, crafted with garlic and cloves.

$6 each.