Blu A Wine & Cheese Stop

Excellent sandwiches/​salads, cheese and service! A bit pricey for your quantities, but always tasty!

My wife and I spent about 20 minutes just testing cheeses and talking to the lady there. She was very friendly and incredibly knowledgable about all of the cheese. She knew where it was from, what kind of animal, how long it fermented, etc.
These people are cheese experts.
I hear their paninis are incredible as well.

Blu is a fine and unique addition to El Mercado. Here, you can find a variety of fine cheeses and meats for sale by weight or as sample platters, as well as a small menu of sandwiches and salads (plus a pretty good wine list to help wash it all down). Their products are derived from an international list of sources. I am thoroughly impressed with the staff’s selections of the products they source, as I have yet to come here and try their latest round of meats and cheeses and not left thoroughly impressed. They are eager to let you try samples of their meats and cheeses as well, and come up with food and beverage pairing recommendations. If you are into gourmet delis, this is the place to come.
As for their sandwiches and salads, this is a great option for lunch or light dinner. My personal favorite is their «Ham and Jam» sandwich, which has goat cheese, prosciutto, and fresh berry jam. It’s like a gourmet kids meal for grown-​ups. It also comes with a side salad + balsamic vinaigrette.

I walked in knowing I had to bring cheese and charcuterie to two different dinners I am going to this week. I was not that confident that I would choose the right thing. Luckily I didn’t have to! The owner had suggestions for each dinner. I tried delicious little samples of them all. Nodded my head and am so so pleased with the beautiful cheeses I am going to bring. She is making me look like a cheese genius! Friends have told me to try the lunch there too. I haven’t had time but will be back soon to do that too. What a beautiful gem!

3 Stars — mostly due to pricing. I don’t mind paying $ 50 for lunch, but I do expect way more than what we got at Blu. The service was decent, the cheese was good, the wine was tasty but we didn’t get much of anything. Someone else mentioned the small portions and I decided to ignore the warnings because of all the other great reviews, but in all honesty don’t go in there expecting a tall pour or a big cheese plate.
Overall, it was a nice experience and I was grateful for the heads-​up on the small portions for the price. Cheers!

The flavor combos are great but what an overpriced place. My friend and I ordered the sandwich of the day and a Big Apple salad to split. We paid $ 22 or so. The split the half sandwich and half salad on individual plates for us. $ 11 each for these small portions with barely any taste of some of the ingredients the mentioned. The sandwich had too much honey in it and tasted more like a sticky savory dessert than a lunch item. We were still hungry so my friend ordered a ploughman’s board. It was the smallest board for the biggest price. It was served on a square dinner plate and did not have much to be desired.
Add more injury– turns out the sandwich comes with half a salad anyways. The cashier should have told us that. Basically we ordered a $ 10 salad for no reason… Or he should have brought the sandwiches with the standard side salad and another plate of our purchased salad split. Bad communication from their end. $ 10 for a wimpy salad didn’t sit right with me.

Went here with my spouse for a late lunch on her BDay. It was fun and we will be back.
There are a lot of things to like a lot about Blu: the location, the ambiance, the staff, the cheese, and far from least — the sandwiches. This would be a five star review if it weren’t for the recommended wine, and specifically for the price and the pour — $ 8.50 for a «glass» of Grounded Angel. I questioned the pour and was told it was a fourth of a bottle. Not by a long shot! With that off my chest, everything else was more than good. The staff was amazing and funny and cool. Shout out to Aaron, et al.
Ambiance: Outside seating at the Mercado is great. Not a lot of seats near Blu, but they pretty much serve all over the Mercado patio, which is extensive.
The food: We had the «Butchers Delight, which was a mix of meats «salumi,» prosciutto, etc, cornichons, crostini and Dijon mustard. (contrary to the handout menu there were no nuts, pâté or olive mix). Quite good, although we could have used a little more of the crostini. The presentation was nice, which may explain the crostini issue. More crostini, although welcome, might have looked unbalanced of the board.
Which brings us to the sandwiches (or panninis). Que magnifique!!! if that is the correct French. Awesome. Mi esposa had «the French Country Boy» (pork country pâté, brie, Dijon, greens et cornichons) and I had «The Classic» (prosciutto, mayo, roasted tomato, avocado and greens). We traded tastes (don’t tell the Health Dept.) and I swear I have never had better. The Classic, which was billed as a take-​off on the BLT, was tasty, filling and intriguing (the last due to the herbs and especially the touch of thyme, which had me wondering: «What was that?»). The French Country Boy was just plain good. My spouse said it made her think of Gammache at Three Pines, for any of you Louise Penny fans out there.
We’ll be back for the sandwiches, but maybe not the wine, unless it’s half price at happy hour. (:

Another one of my new favorite spots near downtown is also in the Mercado San Agustín Marketplace (that review will be up next)! I love cheese and all things cheese related and Blu has my attention and stomach. It’s a cozy little shop that packs a punch with gourmet cheee, vinegars, Olive Oils, sandwiches, salads, wines… just to name a few! The staff are wonderful and able to answer any questions I’ve had about their products and making great recommendations when in doubt. I love their Classic sandwich. It’s similar to a BLT but goes way beyond. It’s made with housemade Prosciutto bacon, mayonnaise, roasted tomatoes, organic avocado and field greens… yummy!

This place is a hidden gem. It’s been so close and I never knew it was there. They have delicious fresh cheeses and a wide selection of Tapas. The staff was friendly and informative. It was a lovely atmosphere.
My only regret? I was too full to try the dessert.

Wowza what can I say, such awesomeness packed into about 400sq ft! Went here on a weekday lunch just before noon and beat the crowd. Was able to get a personal explanation of the dine-​in menu options and the ingredients they were made with. You have your choice of several anti pasta and cheese plates, salads, and paninis. All made with stuff the sell in house! So if you’re like me and love love your lunch you can buy everything you need to make it either at BLU or somewhere near by.
I had the French Country Boy panini served with a their side green salad. Yum! They had to substitute the cheese to a fresh goat cheese and it was fab! Sand which size is great. Make sure to grab one of the outside tables In the mercado to people watch.
They have a variety of local wines as well and did I mention they let you taste everything before you buy?!
Staff was very friendly and they support all the local shops in the mercado as well.
Let’s just say I stayed for lunch then bought enough for my own charcuterie board for dinner!
Faves: cowgirl creamery cheeses and pork pâté.

Good food. Great wine. I knew I loved it here when I walked in and heard Old Crow Medicine Show. New favorite place.

We’ve been to Blu twice. The sandwiches are great.
You can sit inside if one just a couple of tables are available or outside.
Get some olives, sample the vinegars, and wait for your delicious sandwich to be made just for you.
You won’t be disappointed.

I went to a wine and cheese class here on Friday night, they are having a series of these highlighting different countries each time. I was so impressed by the owner, and the other woman (I wish I could remember her name) who did this class. They were both so knowledgeable, and really helped you feel and taste the wine and cheese combinations. It made me want to run out and learn more about wine. We tasted the most delicious cheese I’ve ever had. I will go back for more classes. It was just better and more than I expected.

I had lunch here last week and I am still thinking about my sweet potato salad. My fiancé had a sandwich, and although small, was super delicious and filling. Everything was so fresh and the perfect lunch-​sized portions. We had a couple of slices of cheese on the side as well, and it was excellent.
The staff is very informative and friendly, the shop is small but packed with all kinds of good things. I can’t wait to come back and try more of their food and try some of their wines as well.

One of my absolute favorite spots here! I love cheese, I love wine, They offer great choices for both. I never know what exactly to chose; which doesn’t matter because they’ll make you a cheese plate up depending if you prefer sweet or savory. I usually go with the wine that has been recommended since it’s opened me up to some new and delicious wines I hadn’t tried before.
I love the charming outdoor eating area. It’s gorgeous, relaxing atmosphere makes it a lovely little lunch spot.

What a pleasant experience this place was! The 5 of us popped in here for a light snack before jumping on the trolley downtown. Great personal service from all the staff and a wonderful atmosphere while we enjoyed our sumptuous platter. Blu is a winner and so is Tucson for having such a wonderful wine & cheese store. We’ll be back at Xmas when we visit from San Diego to see the kids and our grand daughter.

Such a cute place! Not a ton of seating inside (only 2 tables) but they have a bunch of seating outside under a patio which is fun because you can watch everyone going in and around the market.
Their selection of meats and cheeses is eclectic and they ensure their wines will all pair nicely with the options. I had one of the most flavorful blue cheeses there along with my personal favorite, Manchengo.
the owner was there and was very friendly and talked to us about anything and everything. The staff was equally friendly and were super knowledgeable about what they were serving and took time to explain what everything was. very fun!
I had such a good time that I signed up for one of their Friday night classes — can’t wait to go in 2 days!

Stopped in just to «visually» check out Blu and the young man at the counter (so sorry, can’t remember his name) was so nice and welcoming that we had no choice but to order up a cheese board and some wine. Seriously, once we sampled the serrano marinated garlic we were absolutely intrigued with this delightful little shop.
We ordered the cheesemonger’s choice board which is 3 cheeses and 3 accompaniments (we went with savory… mmmm) and a glass of wine each. We took our wine and sat at an outdoor table on this gorgeous, mild day and waited for our cheese board. Within a few minutes we dove right in and enjoyed every bite. Our board included a slightly smokey bleu cheese, a beautiful white cheddar and a wonderful cajun spiced hard cheese. Our accompaniments were pickled asparagus, pickled golden beets, nuts and slices of grilled kalamata olive bread. I’m not a huge fan of wine blends but I decided to try the Mule’s Mistake and I’m so glad I did! A somewhat light wine with delicious notes of cherries and peppers.
I could have sat there for hours enjoying the afternoon, just drinking wine and eating cheese. It was a little slice of slow paced heaven on a very busy fully packed Saturday.

I’m in love. I was already crazy about the Mercado, and this place just makes it even better. I visited for lunch one day, and the staff offered my friend and I several different samples of cheeses, so that we could pick out an ideal cheese plate. We’re cheeseheads, so the tasting was a little bit of heaven. The portions of cheese on the cheese plate were huge, and we loved the accompanying pickled veggies and bread. The cheese plate was a steal at $ 12, and the quality was the best in town. They have a good selection of beer and wine as well to pair with the cheese. I can’t wait to come back and sample more cheese!

Gluten Free cookies! At a Cheese place!
When we walked in we were greeted so warmly by Aaron, made to feel right at home. Not knowing much about the cheeses I was feeling awkward, but Aaron walked me through all the different choices and I found three I loved.
The menus of cheese plates was intriguing, I have to bring my Mom back.
They have a handy Cheese Tasting Book, and it has diagrams to log in your favorites and why.
The entire experience was fantastic.