The Junction Fromagerie is a new addition to the Junction providing quality Canadian artisinal cheese. It's owned by the same people who churn out some of Toronto's best chocolate down the street at Delight .

As the only dedicated cheese shop on this stretch of Dundas West, the Junction Fromagerie was a long time coming. During my recent visit the place was packed and everyone was buying something - except for one lady who couldn't deal with the slow moving line. But don't expect the energy or experience of Global Cheese here. I found it a relatively joyless experience with everyone silently waiting for their turn at the counter.

It was pretty much an all business affair as the lady behind the counter wasn't chatty or talking to anyone, just taking each order, slicing it up, weighing, it, then ringing it through with seemingly as few words as possible.

There isn't much to the place, really. There's an antique hutch on one side of the store with a variety of homemade crostinis and crackers on display, plus a shelf on the other side with a few rolls and breads. The crackers and crostinis all looked tasty so I picked up a bag for a dinner party I was throwing later in the week.

The selection of cheese is quite impressive and I really appreciated how clearly each item was priced and labeled per 100 grams, along with a detailed description of the type and flavour of the cheese. Since the line wasn't moving that quickly, I had some time to read the labels carefully and I decided on three different selections.

My first choice, the "Thunder Oak" Gouda at $4.27/100g was soft, creamy and quite sweet. I've experienced bitter goudas in the past, but this cheese was a good fit for my crostini, or a sandwich.

I also selected the "Bothwell" smoked cheddar at $4.34/100g. This 2-year, heat-treated cow's milk cheddar is naturally smoked with maple and was terrifically fragrant with a nice sharp bite and melted nicely in my mouth.

My last selection was the "Chevre Noir" a black waxed-wrapped goat's milk cheddar at $6.49/100g. This one had quite a complex taste and it likely might not be for everyone's palette, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a bit of a crumble to it and a slight candied aftertaste.

Overall, the Junction Fromagerie delivered in the area that really mattered - the cheese. All three of my selections (plus the crostini) were delicious and a hit at my dinner party.

Writing by James Buttivant. Photos by Dennis Marciniak.