Andante Dairy
We got our first shipment of cheese from Andante Dairy in Petaluma! The cheese made by Soyoung Scanlan is extremely hard to find and we are very honored to carry it. Soyoung is a former biochemist who uses her methodical approach to making some of the finest goat and blended milk cheeses this country has to offer. If Robert Pirsig had written Zen and the Art of Cheesemaking instead of motorcycle maintenance, Soyoung would be the protagonist!
We are one of two stores in the state and probably three in the midwest that carry Andante cheese and it certainly helps that our cheesemonger Zach Berg used to deliver Andante cheese around Napa while he was attending culinary school. If you want to try cheese served at the French Laundry, come visit our store! Supplies are limited but, like everything else we carry, we are happy to let you taste these great cheeses before you take some home.
We currently have the following Andante Cheeses:
- Crottin - If you like goat cheese this is your game! Concentrated flavor and a dense but creamy texture.
- Tomme Brebis Chevre - This cheese is imported by Soyoung from the French Pyrenees. It is a blend of sheep and goat milk beautifully aged to be slightly sweet, smooth and nutty. Bounce between this and the Tomme Dolce to travel from France to Northern California in a couple bites!
- Fresh Goat - This is one of the best fresh goat cheeses in the country. Try it with a chablis and some dark milk chocolate.
- Rondo - slightly tart goat cheese topped with herbs.
- Tomme Dolce - This cheese is aged giving it a rounder, sweeter flavor than her young cheeses. Then she takes June Taylor’s Preserves and coats the rind for flavor. A product combining two of Zach's favorite producers in the Bay Area
NEW HOURS!
Nobody likes Mondays much right? We have decided to close on Mondays for the time being so we can catch up on orders, emails and sleep. However we are going to stay open an extra hour (til 6 pm) on Tuesday and Wednesday so you have more time to visit us! Our new hours are below.
Tuesday - Wednesday: 10 - 6
Thursday - Saturday: 10 - 7
Sunday: 11 - 5
Monday: Closed
CHOCOLATE!!!
We have some awesome bars in! First up is omNom from Reykjavík Iceland. We have been trying to get the Lakkris and Sea Salt bar for a couple weeks and finally got some in. This is flavored with real licorice and Icelandic Sea Salt not anise. The Nordics like their licorice and this bar has it in the right amount - such complex flavors. Also from omNom is the 50% Nicaraguan "dark milk" bar, a great example of how good high-cocoa content milk chocolate can be!
All the way on the other side of the world Marou from Saigon Vietnam. Marou only makes chocolate with Vietnamese ingredients! That means Vietnamese cacao, cane sugar and in the case of their milk chocolate, coconut milk. Dairy is not a big industry in Vietnam, but coconuts are. This 55% "dark milk" bar is something all chocolate lovers can enjoy.
We also have the mini bars pictured in the center above. These make awesome stocking stuffers or party favors. Mini bars from several different regions of Vietnam are available but two of our favorites are the Ba Ria 76% and the "Pod to Bar" Dong Nai 72%. Marou works very closely with their farmers on the Dong Nai Bar by selecting cacao from specific trees and directing the fermentation. Come experience the flavors of Vietnamese Cacao. As a bonus, all the Marou bars are vegan and nut free!