La Femme du Fromage

La Femme du Fromage is the cheese shop tucked inside East End Market in Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden District, run by proprietor Tonda Corrente, who has earned the nickname “Mistress of Manchego” among regulars for a reason. This is a genuine cut-to-order cheese counter, not a pre-packaged grab and go case, meaning the wheels get sliced fresh when you order rather than sitting shrink wrapped waiting for a sale. The shop sources hand-crafted cheeses from small producers in the United States and abroad, and the counter staff can talk through what pairs with what in a way that turns a simple cheese purchase into a short education.

The shop’s reputation extends beyond Orlando at this point. USA Today has named La Femme du Fromage’s offering the Best Grilled Cheese in Florida, and Taste of Home separately recognized it as the Best Cheese Shop in Florida, both real, sourced accolades rather than marketing talk. Friday afternoons bring a Grilled Cheese Happy Hour that draws a mix of East End Market regulars and people who drove across town specifically for it, which says something about how far the shop’s reputation for that particular sandwich has traveled beyond the neighborhood.

Beyond the walk-up counter, there is an upstairs space at the market known simply as Upstairs, where La Femme du Fromage runs guided cheese and wine tastings and small classes by appointment. That upstairs setup lets the shop go deeper than a quick purchase, walking a small group through several cheeses paired with wine in a more relaxed, seated format. It is worth booking ahead if you want that experience rather than just grabbing something at the counter on your way through the market.

Grazing boards and catering are a big part of the business too, and it is common to see La Femme du Fromage boards show up at Orlando weddings, office parties, and holiday gatherings, built to order with whatever mix of cheese, charcuterie, fruit, and crackers a client wants. Because the shop lives inside East End Market rather than standing alone, it benefits from the foot traffic of a building that already draws people in for coffee, chocolate, and lunch from the market’s other independent vendors, but the cheese program itself stands entirely on its own reputation.