Pastoral Artisan Cheeses featured on Chicago Restaurant Cheese Plates

Many of Chicagoland's finest restaurants offer cheeses supplied by Pastoral on their cheese plates.

We thought it was about time to tell you about some of of valued restaurant customers and the ways they feature artisan cheeses.

Lula Cafe offers an artisan cheese plate with two cheeses that changes weekly according to the season.

Atwood Cafe chooses regional cheeses for their three cheese selections. Currently Wisconsin cheeses are highlighted, including Carr Valley Marisa, Marieke Gouda, and Baba Blue.

Avec showcases cheeses from around the Mediterranean, including Nisa, a Portugese raw sheep milk cheese that is made with thistle rennet.

Naperville's Sugar Toad presents domestic cheeses exclusively, in keeping with Chef Jimmy Sneed's American artisan cuisine.  Our lovely Nebraskan, Lancaster Duet, sits with three other fine cheeses on the plate.

Head to a tasting at the West Loop's  Perman Wine and you will find the best international artisan cheeses paired with Craig's carefully chosen wines.

Hit the roof at C-House and C-View this summer for a great view of the Mag Mile and and artisan cheese featuring Prairie Fruits Ewe Bloom from Champaign IL.

one sixtyblue Pastry Chef Steph Prida offers four American artisan cheeses in an a la carte format, including Prairie Fruits Farms unique Huckleberry Blue.

Next week we'll post about more of our favorite restaurant cheese programs, including  info on what's up at Blackbird, Corner Cooks, and the Bristol.

Weekend Pairing 5/7/09

In keeping with out theme this month we are going local. Pairing Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.

The cheese this week is Old Kentucky Tomme. It comes to us from Judy at Capriole in Greenville, Indiana.  This is a raw goat's milk cheese aged for five to six months.  It has a very clean slightly sharp acidity to it, and is creamy on the tongue.  Capriole is a farmsteading company.  Their goats are raised there, milked there, and the cheese is all made on-site.  A lot of care goes into the goat's livelihood, and into the cheese.

We're pairing an apple wine from Hickory Creek with the cheese.   Apple wine is an old time Michigan treat, made from heirloom apples, but don't confuse this with a cider.  There is a slight sweetness to the wine without being cloying.  It is well balanced with flavors of juicy apple and a slight spiciness.

To make the pairing complete is a little bit of honey from Blooming Tree farmstead honey from St. Joseph.  Honey loves goat cheese, and gives the apple wine a great kick!  Come in this weekend and give them a taste then take some to enjoy on your picnic.

-Agela

Weekend Pairing 5/1/09

May is "Eat Local" month here at Pastoral. We are kicking it off with a local pairing. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a raw cow's milk cheese from Uplands Cheese co. in Wisconsin. This cheese is the result of hard work and a quest for perfection from the makers.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made in tune with mother nature. When the fields are lush and green and the cows are grazing, only then is their milk turned into cheese. Does it make a difference? Of course! Terroir is important in cheesemaking as it is in wine. Pleasant Ridge Reserve has won numerous awards and after sampling this nutty, creamy, grassy, green Alpine styled cheese we think you'll be ready to give it an award of your own.

Our suggestion for wine is the Highland Red from August Hill Winery right here in Illinois. This red is made from fromtenac grapes. It has some fruity notes of cherries and dark berries with just a bit of pepper. It drinks like a light bodied pinot noir, and is delicious! Come in for a sample, leave with a bottle of your own!

Don't forget that tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month and that means it's time for a free wine tasting at our downtown store. Come and join us from 6:30pm-8:30pm as we pour samples of local and delectable products. Our store in the Loop is located at 53 E. Lake St. right between Wabash and N. Michigan. Hope to see you there!

-Agela