Narrow Slate Cheese Board

We've said it before and we'll say it again: when it comes to staging appetizers a sense of drama is paramount. This narrow slate cheese board is sourced from a family quarry in upstate New York, and is cut narrow to throw your cheeses in sharp relief. Cheesed out? This long slab works equally well for a sashimi platter, or any other hors d'oeuvres that'll look good sitting in a row.

Brooklyn Slate Company is a collaborative effort from Brooklyn graphic designer Sean Tice and Parsons graduate student Kristy Hadeka. After visiting Kristy's family slate quarry in upstate New York in the spring of 2009, the two grabbed a few pieces for use as all-purpose boards back home in Brooklyn. They found a number of purposes for the slate – from trivets for tea kettles and hot dishes to coasters for beer – and began gifting pieces to friends. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that the two struck out to produce a line of slate products.