{"id":2686,"date":"2024-01-28T04:27:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T04:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/cheese-shops-we-love-chantals-cheese-shop\/"},"modified":"2024-01-28T04:27:01","modified_gmt":"2024-01-28T04:27:01","slug":"cheese-shops-we-love-chantals-cheese-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/cheese-shops-we-love-chantals-cheese-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheese Shops We Love: Chantal\u2019s Cheese Shop"},"content":{"rendered":"
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4402 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15224<\/p>\n

(412)-621-1203<\/p>\n

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\"Anai\u0308s<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

A Little Slice of Lyon in Pittsburgh<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The DNA of Chantal\u2019s Cheese Shop<\/a> is firmly rooted in French cheese culture, and that\u2019s just the way owner Ana\u00efs Saint-Andr\u00e9 Loughran likes it. \u201cI\u2019m French!\u201d she exclaims with a flourish and a beaming smile, \u201cAnd I love cheese!\u201d Her husband and business partner, Chris Loughran, laughs and shakes his head. The married couple opened their doors four years ago when they moved to Pittsburgh from New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ana\u00efs\u2019 passion for cheese was instilled in her from a young age. Born in Lyon, France, she spent her early childhood travelling with her parents, visiting creameries and dairy farms. After completing college in California, she moved to New York City where she would get her first job working with cheese in Brooklyn. It was there she realized she wanted to own a cheese shop someday. It was also there where she met Chris.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chantal\u2019s is named for Ana\u00efs\u2019 mother who passed away a few years before the shop opened. She credits her mother as the inspiration for pursuing her dream. \u201cI was with my mom when I had the idea to work in cheese,\u201d Ana\u00efs remembers, \u201cShe was so supportive of the idea.\u201d After her passing, the young couple moved to Pittsburgh, and the dream was realized soon after.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When considering the future, Ana\u00efs and Chris have big plans. \u201cThe whole reason we got into this business was because we love cheese and we love people,\u201d Ana\u00efs emphasizes. She and Chris are not blind to the assumptions people make about their business, however. \u201cSome people think this is just what running a small business looks like, long days and late nights, work, work, work. But we don\u2019t accept that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their vision calls for changing the way people work. \u201cWe hope to expand our team, which will enable us to move everyone over to salary and cut the work week to 4 days a week. Give people more flexibility to explore their creativity inside and outside of work. Have more fun.\u201d Ana\u00efs says the goal is flexibility. \u201cFlexibility for us to travel, to visit more cheesemakers and creameries in the world, to learn as much as we can\u2026And also to pursue more passion projects!\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those projects might include ice cream, a passion project for Chris. Growing up with his father making homemade ice cream, he clearly excels at it. \u201cI just love ice cream,\u201d he comments. \u201cI\u2019ve always had fun messing around with different combinations and the results are pretty good.\u201d Judging by his latest effort, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and bacon ice cream, it would be far more than just a \u2018pretty good\u2019 addition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Chantal's<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The Shop<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Located across the street from the UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Chantal\u2019s Cheese Shop is a stand-alone building owned by the Loughrans. Buying the building outright was the plan from the start. \u201cIt was a no-brainer,\u201d Chris asserts. \u201cThis way, we own the property and can set things up the way we like.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The entire first floor is dedicated to retail. The store is small but thoughtfully organized, never feeling crowded despite the impressive amount of products on display. At the rear are two cheese cases, fully stocked with interesting and varied options from Europe and domestic producers. Each cheese has a pre-printed card conveying useful information, allowing guests to peruse the choices at their leisure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even though the cards are helpful, the cheesemongers behind the counter are ready to jump into a conversation at a moment\u2019s notice, more than happy to get nerdy about cheese. Chantal\u2019s has a small team, but they are a strength of the business. Their collective knowledge and passion create a welcoming and friendly environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Andy Fusia has been here since 2019. A Pittsburgh native, he ironically didn\u2019t like cheese growing up, thanks to a sibling who ate \u201cawful processed cheese.\u201d Working in the cheese department at Whole Foods introduced him to Basque sheep milk cheese, and that changed everything. Now at Chantal\u2019s, he is the manager and lead buyer. His favorite cheese? Adarr\u00e9 Reserva, a goat and sheep milk blend from the Pays Basque region of southern France. \u201cEvery wheel is fantastic. So hazelnutty!\u201d he enthusiastically asserts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Aerin<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Aerin Ercolea has been with Chantal\u2019s for 2 years. Not only are they a cheesemonger, they also prepare all the vegan foods sold, including a decadently rich vegetable p\u00e2t\u00e9 being sampled that day. The plan is to eventually expand the offerings to include pickles and preserves. For Ercolea, cheese is a complex and nuanced food. \u201cIt\u2019s really important to take a holistic approach to cheese eating,\u201d they comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rounding out the team is Tyler Gallagher, here for only a month. He grew up outside of Philadelphia, and moved to Pittsburgh for school. His experience at Whole Foods prepared him for the rigors of cheesemongering, although cheese has been a lifelong passion. \u201cI\u2019ve always been fascinated with cheese,\u201d he says. His favorite cheese is Hornbacher, a raw cow milk cheese from Switzerland made by the same producer who supplies the shop with Le Gruy\u00e8re AOP.<\/p>\n

Domestic and imported products fill the wall displays around the store. Mostardas, honeys, crackers, and other accoutrements serve as excellent partners for whatever cheese may be considered. A selection of cheese-themed books are also available, featuring some excellent options that can help consumers to improve their wine & cheese pairing game, among other topics.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The second floor of the building has an office and a comfortable event space where guests attend classes and demonstrations. A small kitchen adjacent to the room allows for easy class preparation and cleanup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Top Selling Cheeses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Milton<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze Cheddar<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

Often described as a cross between cheddar and alpine-style cheeses like Swiss Emmentaler, Prairie Breeze is produced in Southeastern Iowa by the Musser family. Made with pasteurized cow milk sourced from local Amish farms, its aged for a minimum of nine months to create a cheese that is sweeter than most typical cheddars, yet full-flavored and delightfully rich and crumbly. Beautifully nutty with a lengthy finish, this six-time award winner is well worth seeking out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Brillat

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“Brillat Savarin Affine<\/a>” by\u00a0amandabhslater<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under\u00a0CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brillat Savarin\u00a0<\/h3>\n

This incredible triple-cream cheese from France is beyond decadent, with a butterfat content approaching 75%. Because the texture is so rich and dense, a little goes a long way. Each 1lb. wheel can easily feed 8-10 people. Gentle mushroom flavors match the buttercream frosting texture and fresh heavy cream finish. Sip on a glass of dry bubbles from just about anywhere with this hedonistic treat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"The

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St. Malachi Reserve photo credit to Culinary Harvest<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Farm at Doe Run St. Malachi Reserve<\/a><\/h3>\n

A wonderfully complex cheese made from pasteurized cow milk, St. Malachi Reserve is aged for a minimum of 9 months in aging caves located at the dairy in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Dense flavors of brown butter and candied pineapple make this nearly irresistible with an oaked white wine or barrel-aged beer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Also Look For<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The small refrigerator on the sales floor is a treasure chest of imported and housemade foods. Fresh cheeses like mozzarella and burrata sit alongside treats like imported French butter and Calabrian anchovies (a favorite of manager Andy Fusia). Olives, p\u00e2t\u00e9s, and other antipasti items round out the selections.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

4402 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15224 (412)-621-1203 \u00a0 A Little Slice of Lyon in Pittsburgh The DNA of Chantal\u2019s Cheese Shop is firmly rooted in French cheese culture, and that\u2019s just the way owner Ana\u00efs Saint-Andr\u00e9 Loughran likes it. \u201cI\u2019m French!\u201d she exclaims with a flourish and a beaming smile, \u201cAnd I love cheese!\u201d Her … Okumaya devam et “Cheese Shops We Love: Chantal\u2019s Cheese Shop”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}