Tria

Opened May 2004, Tria celebrates fermentation by providing a sizeable selection of beer, wine, and cheese. Their menu is four big beautiful pages of mouth watering goodness. First page, snacks, bruschetta, salads, sandwiches, sweets, and beverages. I wanted to eat everything and had hoped to return a second time this trip for the smoked duck salad and flourless cake.

The cheese, beer, and wine list each have their own pages. These pages are subdivided using colorful descriptors, “sociable reds”; “luscious whites” beers are “profound” or “invigorating” among other things. The cheeses go from clean to luscious to stinky to approachable to stoic to racy. I wanted to explore every area but sadly only have one stomach.

To drink, I started with a Sparkling Brut “Armance B.,” Ampelidae from Loire, France. This was a Blanc de Blanc which is made like Champagne and has “sophisticated fruit flavors and a toasty finish”. I found it delightful but was also overwhelmed by food and did not give it time for contemplation. I also enjoyed a Rose Cava, Familia Oliveda from Penedes, Spain.

I ordered the Roasted Beets with Bulgarian Feta, which was wonderful. I had never had Bulgarian Feta and found it delightful. It had a creamier texture with slightly more salt that played well with the sweetness of the beets. The Pistachio Herbed Ricotta with Sage Honey bruschetta was another lovely dance of sweet and salt. We also enjoyed a Tuscan White bean spread that I really enjoyed. This was served with a toasted baguette that was powdered with paprika. This hint of spice gave the white beans some jazz.

Our first cheese was “liquid mountain butter” called Preferes Des Montagnes which is a cow’s milk cheese from Savoie France. It was soft, creamy, and slightly yeasty. We also enjoyed my old favorite, Kunik from Nettle Meadow which is a triple-crème mix of goat and cow. Our last cheese was a Pecorino Marzolino, a sheep cheese that is rubbed with San Marzano tomatoes. This Tuscan cheese was aged for sixty days and had a young sweet flavor.

Tria has opened a second location in Philadelphia as well as a Fermentation school. They offer classes on beer, wine, and cheese. They make their accompaniments such as balsamic strawberries in house. The staff was knowledgeable and courteously. And you can even get a Tria membership!