Mr. J. Sobocinski transformed his food truck into Caseus Provisions.
Caseus Provisions presents salami, grapes, nuts, and more.
Customer orders the Cuban sandwich.
By Kaylin Lam ’27
If you’re looking for a cute Wallingford luncheonette or craving some grilled cheese, then Caseus Provisions is the place to go.
Caseus Provisions, a specialty cheese shop located on Center Street, features a staple classic grilled cheese sandwich. However, they’re not limited to just lunch items. With crackers and jams, sliced meat, charcuterie platters, French onion soup, and an array of cheeses sold by the pound, there are plenty of options. Whether hungry Boars are looking for a snack on the go, enjoying a meal on Caseus’s outdoor picnic tables, or using their catering services, it has tasty meals for everyone.
Originally named Caseus Fromagerie & Bistro, avid cheese lover Mr. Jason Sobocinski opened the business in New Haven in 2008 and was later joined by his brother, Mr. Tom Sobocinski.
Mr. J. Sobocinski shared that the main reason he embarked on this culinary journey was because of his graduate education. “I got my master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University,” he said. “It was an interesting anthropological look at food and culture and why people eat what they eat and how that defines them.”
While in college, Mr. J. Sobocinski worked for a Boston cheese shop, Formaggio Kitchen, and later decided to open his own cheese shop and bistro in New Haven. The business took off, and after a few years, he and his brother created The Crispy Melty, a food truck that allowed them to expand their business.
Not long after, the eatery’s goals shifted. The Sobocinski brothers sold their original bistro to its chef, Mr. Craig Hutchinson, and found a gem of a property in Wallingford. The closed luncheonette with commercial kitchen suited the on-the-go nature of their food truck business.
“At that time, we were just looking for a place where we could prep all the goods to go on the truck. We weren’t thinking about opening another cheese shop,” Mr. Sobocinski said. That is, until their other partner proposed an idea. “We started talking about doing different ideas and ultimately decided that we would open up a small cheese shop with a little grilled cheese bar.”
With a reasonable price on the property and a large parking lot for the truck, the brothers were eager to grow their business in Wallingford, a community that Mr. Sobocinski expressed profound love for.
“I think the people are fantastic. I love the neighborhood that we’re in,” Mr. Sobocinski said. The tight-knit community has allowed him to work with other local businesses (like Passionately Pasta) and gain regular customers.
“My favorite part [of the job] is being able to showcase some really great cheeses and seeing people get excited when they try a new cheese for the first time.”
One of Caseus’s most frequent customers is Latin teacher Ms. Diana Beste. “Caseus Provisions is probably the only place so far that I can rely upon to have a really nice meal,” Ms. Beste said. “If I go out to eat, I want a nicely prepared meal with good ingredients.”
Ms. Beste wondered if the location of the shop has impacted its popularity amongst the student body. She hopes that delivery app services, including UberEats, which the restaurant uses, will help spread the word about Caseus and get students excited about the delicious food spot just around the corner.
“I just hope that it becomes kind of a fixture in the pantheon of restaurants that our students enjoy,” Ms. Beste said.
Caseus Provisions has not only attracted the business of Choate teachers. Steven Kee ’27 said, “When I had Covid, it lifted my spirits. It was one of the best grilled cheeses I’ve ever had.”
