Chicago French Market Opens Tomorrow!

We are all a-twitter! After months of planning, carpentry, licensing, glass work, goods ordering and tearing out a hair or two we are pleased to announce that Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine will be opening at the Chicago French Market tomorrow (Dec. 3) at 10 am.

The outside awning of what promises to be a food extravaganza in Chicago!

Making our presence known



We've got a great location and gorgeous windows!


A few of the Pastoral elves who make it all happen! Manager Cristi (on the phone), Assistant Manager Nat, Dana and Ryne two of our wonderful employees.

We've got a few guest stars lined up for the grand opening this weekend. Take a look at our facebook fan page for all the details. The Chicago French Market has a few grand opening perks as well. Be one of the first 500 customers each day from Dec. 3-9 and you'll receive a market bag. Gift Certificates will be distributed on Friday & Saturday and of course the big prize: you could win a four night trip to Paris for two! Check it out here.

We also have a wine and cheese pairing for this week.* Featuring the Pantaleo, a goat milk cheese from Sardinia and 2006 Massaya "Classic", a Cinsault/Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend from Lebanon.

The Pantaleo is a firm ivory goat milk cheese with a floral and sweet flavor with just a hint of the citrusy finish you expect in a goat cheese. Massaya is a big bold red, perfect for people who love wines from Chile and Argentina but are looking for something new.

*Due to Chicago liquor laws, Pastoral at the French Market will not be carrying wine until next week.

A Visit from Jasper Hill

This past Tuesday I had the honor of escorting Zoe Brickley from the Cellars at Jasper Hill to visit some of Pastoral's restaurant accounts. Zoe is an accomplished cheese-monger who moved to Greensboro VT last summer to work with our friends Mateo and Andy and their crew.

She brought samples of a new cheese from their caves called Landaff, which is a cow's milk tomme inspired by Caerphilly that will be available soon, plus some wedges of the amazing Cabot Clothbound Cheddar.

After chatting with our Lake St. staff, Zoe and I toured the Loop, stopping in to several kitchens to see Chef Heather Terhune from Atwood Cafe, Bryce Caron at Custom House, and Chef Meg Colleran and her team at Terzo Piano. The Landaff was very well received, and it was a pleasure tasting with such a knowledgeable gal and such a fine roster of chefs.

Next we headed to Old Town Social on North Ave, where Yoni and Chef Jared presented us with an array of their incredible house-made charcuterie. These guys sell a ton of Cabot Cheddar, along the with 11 other cheeses on their board.

After a whirlwind behind the scenes tour of the soon-to-open French Market on Clinton, we dined at Sepia, another restaurant with a thoughtful list of American artisan cheeses. The food was gorgeous and abundant and the service was top notch.

Thanks to Zoe for a wonderful day behind the scenes, and thanks to our Chefs for making us feel so welcome. We look forward to enjoying the fruits of Jasper Hill's cellars!

Lisa Futterman, Pastoral Wholesale Accounts

Weekly Pairing and Holiday News

The Chicago Loop Alliance, in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository has come up with a "Winter Wonderloop" project. Please help us help others this holiday season with your donation of any non-perishable foods.

This Saturday we will be offering another free tasting at our Broadway location from 3pm-6pm. Stop by for a taste of some delicious wines and beer and get your holiday libations in advance!

We are also offering specialty breads from Bennison's for your holiday festivities. This year we have the always popular Cranberry Pecan bread and a new addition to the roster, Apple Cider bread. Call either store to pre-order your loaves.

This week for our pairing we're going French. The cheese this week is Abondance de Savoie. Named for the breed of cattle whose milk is used to make the cheese, this cheese dates back to the late 1800's. Sweet and nutty with a slight grassiness, this cheese has a rich and complex flavor that is sure to please the Alpine cheese lover.

For wine Jan suggest the 2005 Domaine Brusset "Chabrille" from Cairrane, France. This small production wine comes from a single village. This wine has a long finish with a lot of bacon, loam and cedar in the nose. This wine is full of old-world funk and glory.