Slate Servers Tell What's Being Served Slabs of slate have been used to serve cheese in restaurants and homes for years; the name of the cheese can be chalked right on the stone. Now, locavores can present New York cheese on New York stone from Brooklyn Slate. This Red Hook company started a year ago, after Sean Tice, a graphic designer, and his partner, Kristy Hadeka, a graduate of Parsons the New School for Design, visited the quarry in Middle Granville, N.Y., that was founded in 1946 by her grandfather. They brought back slate samples to use as cheese boards and trivets, gave them as gifts and soon realized they had a potential business. They cut and finish the stone to be food-safe, and sell various sizes, packed with a soapstone marker, cushioned feet and a burlap storage bag. Slate coasters and placemats are also available. Cheese boards from brooklynslate.com are $25 for a 7-by-12-inch size, $29 for 10 by 14 inches, and $30 for 5 by 18 inches. They are sold in the New York area at Murray's Cheese, Stinky Bklyn, Chelsea Market Baskets, By Brooklyn and Eastern District, among other stores, and nationally at Williams-Sonoma and some Whole Foods markets. The Web site has a full list.