Meet Your Monger: Thomas

When you enter the Cheese Shop, odds are that Thomas’s smiling face will be the first you see. A longtime Meat Monger (and new Assistant Manager!), Thomas is the Renaissance Man of the Cheese Shop; he might sell you cheese on Monday, make you a delicious sandwich on Wednesday, and guide you through reverse searing a ribeye on Saturday. He’s just that kind of guy. His sunny demeanor and staunch work ethic make him a delight to interact with as a customer and a colleague. 

What’s your most-purchased grocery product in the shop?

Probably the chocolate chip cookies. After a long day, who doesn't want to sit down and have a cookie? I know I do. They're easily some of the best cookies I've come across - aside from my Mom's, of course.

What’s something that might surprise us about you?

I'm scared of flying but I want my pilots license. Something about facing your fears head on, right? 

Lobster Roll or BLT?

BLT. When I was growing up I wasn't a fan of tomatoes. At all. So when tomato season rolled around, and my parents wanted to have BLTs, I would simply have a BL, hold the T. I have since learned the error of my way, and now I look forward to tomato season every year. 

Describe the Cheese Shop team in three words.

Industrious. Gracious. Sharp. 

Meet Your Monger: Erin

If you were a cheese, which would you be and why?

Bocconcino di Capra. A small and bouncy medallion-shaped goat’s milk cheese with a smooth, bloomy rind. It gets along great with everyone involved, pairs perfectly with olives, anchovies, and a refreshing aperitif. 

What's your go-to Cheese Shop “secret menu” item?

The Tuna Banh Mi as a salad, add sriracha, watermelon radish, and miso vinaigrette on the side. 

OR -

Prosciutto di Parma + fig jam and arugula. (Not so secret, but oh so delicious)

You used to be a Target executive and you have a degree in bronze sculpture--how did you end up working in cheese?

I worked in hospitality for many years after working in corporate life, and it really just evolved from there. It really comes down to never being fully satisfied, always being eager gain new and exciting knowledge and experience. Food culture had been a part of my personal and professional career for a long time, and I wanted to cultivate my understanding about something I was honestly pretty unfamiliar with. It’s an incredible place to work, and I love being a part of such a fantastic community. 

You're an accomplished cook--what's the best bit of advice you can give to aspiring home cooks to easily level up their game?

Cook seasonally and use local ingredients. Layer and balance flavors (fat, acid, salt, heat). I’ve always felt that cooking something meaningful to you or what you’re currently curious about is a great place to start. Your personal connection to an experience or your interests will translate into what you’re creating and will make your end result taste even more incredible. Spend time learning, making mistakes, and enjoying delicious food with friends and people you love. There’s nothing better than that for me. 

We've heard a rumor that you're a... horse girl—care to elaborate?

Ha! I don’t know if I’d go that far, however, my family relocated to the Minnesota River Valley when I was in grade school and we did have horse stables. My parents bought and restored a historic property near St. Peter, MN. I grew up on sun-ripened raspberries, vegetables from my Mother’s beautiful gardens, and organic chicken eggs.

(And English riding, but I never actually competed so horse girl doesn’t actually apply in this particular circumstance TYVM!)

What's your role at the Cheese Shop?

Funfetti Cake Expert (Editor’s note: Erin’s being modest. She’s also a marble cake expert.

In all seriousness, when she’s not baking cakes for everyone’s birthdays, Erin is a crucial part of our marketing team, styling, photographing, and writing for our social media accounts with the wit and humor she brings to everything in life. She’s also a pillar of our hospitality staff in the Cheese Shop (she’ll become best friends with your Mom in under five minutes, seriously) and she slings a mean sandwich too.

Meet Your Monger: Sam S

Describe your Day to Day Role at France 44?

My role at France 44 changes almost daily. I spend much of my time behind the cheese counter, but am also known to trim steaks and make sandwiches. I'm also a member of our cheese buying team and I assistant manage the food business.

You recently became the NYD cheese buyer—what is it about the NYD cheeses specifically that made you fall in love with them?

I love how rooted in tradition the NYD cheeses are. These are cheeses that have been made for generations in the exact same fashion. That being said, these farms are so small that there can be great variation between batches. There's no greater rush behind the counter than opening a fresh wheel of an English Territorial. You never know what you'll find.

What’s tasting great in the case to you at the moment?

My favorite cheeses behind the counter right now is the Invierno! The texture is fabulous and it's hitting all the right sheepy notes.

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?

I spend my time outside of working riding my bicycle, playing with my dogs, reading books, and birdwatching.

Favorite local Pizza?

Fav pizza right now is the Kingfield from Northern fires

Meet Your Monger: Carol Ann

How long have you worked for F44, and how has your role changed over the years? 

Ten years this May! I worked behind the counter at both the St Paul & Minneapolis shops, ran the St Paul Cheese Shop from 2013-2019 and now I am in charge of catering and gifts. Oh, I also met my now husband at France 44.

What does your life look like when you’re not crushing it at F44?

I spend a lot of time in the pool, and soon the lake. Open water swimming is my favorite. 

Name the best meal you’ve had recently (besides one you’ve made yourself…) 

PS Steak. Besides the food being amazing, the atmosphere and service were fantastic. It was one of the best dining experiences I've had, up there with Corner Table and the Bachelor Farmer (pour two out). 

Give us a brief glimpse into the life of a Catering & Gifts Director…

I return inquiries for gift boxes & catering, process any orders that have come in online, set up deliveries, communicate with the kitchen staff, and work the cheese counter on busier days. St Paul Cheese Shop is known for some pretty crushing lunch time business, so I like to relive my glory days of slinging sandwiches and selling cheese. 

How do you take your coffee? 😎

First coffee of the day black. If I need something sweet, latte with coconut milk and hazelnut syrup.

Meet Your Monger: Maura

Describe your current position and your day to day role at f44? 

My current title is Operations Manager, but all that really means is that I’m usually the most organized person in the room. I was the Cheese Buyer for three years, but now I work with our team of four monger-buyers to try and make sure the cheese case stays full, but not too full. On any given day I’ll be making signage, entering invoices, visiting our St. Paul shops, and generally moving cheese from one location to another! 

What cheese do you have in your fridge right now? 

Not to be a cheesemonger cliché, but a better question would be what cheese don’t I have in my fridge right now. Cheesemongers (we’re just like you!) are definitely guilty of letting stray bits languish in the crisper drawer for too long, at least I am. Drunk Monk is my ride or die snacking cheese. I always have a good supply of Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano for fresh grating. I’ve been really enjoying Veronica Pedraza’s goat cheeses from Blakesville Creamery lately. And I’d be remiss without a good chunk of Pleasant Ridge Reserve in my fridge; it’s perfect for any occasion, and I find it holds up to refrigeration remarkably well. 

What’s your favorite season of Top Chef? 

I tend to remember the people rather than the locations. I’m a sucker for the Voltaggio brothers. Brooke Williamson is a marvel. The All Stars seasons always make for good television. I miss the days of Hugh Acheson though; his zingers live rent free in my head now. 

What’s your current favorite retail item in the shop? 

Easily the Amour de Cerise. They’re these French cherry gummies coated in hazelnut praline and chocolate. I don’t even especially like cherries or chocolate, but I would eat these candies until I became ill for sure. The Inna Fresno Chili Jam is a staff-wide favorite for good reason. Despite the moniker, it’s not spicy at all, by any standard. As a native Minnesotan I genetically resist anything pepper-based, but once I tried it with soft cheese it became an absolute obsession. It has all the fruity notes of chilis without any of the heat, and it’s just the right amount of sweetness to balance out virtually any cheese.

Meet Your Chef: Victoria

What does your day-to-day role look like at France44?

-I split my time between coming up with and getting our weekly specials on the shelves, building catering orders, supporting all of our food production departments (cooks, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers, alike), and working with the future Events team to plan and create new menus and programs for the concept.  I also drink a lot of coffee and sample a lot of tasty tasty France 44 food.

What restaurant(s) have you been to recently that really got you jazzed?

- I'm a ride or die Parkway Pizza fan. I get pretty jazzed about picking up a pizza in the way home every other week.

Outside of work, how do you like to spend your time?

- I'm a pretty hardcore gardener, which I lovingly dedicate most of my time to. I'm also a rock climber, a baker, and have year-round ice cream and boba dates with my favorite France44 alum.

How do you take your coffee?

- If I'm eating breakfast, I take my coffee black.  If I'm drinking breakfast, I'll take an oatmilk latte with caramel--might as well satiate the caffeine fiend and the sugar tooth with one hit.

It’s almost spring! What has gotten you through this MN winter and MN winter 2.0?

- n/a haha

What excites you most about our new event space?

- I'm thrilled to be working with the team we've put together for this space, and can't wait to see our plans and ideas to make this blank canvas into a concept that can bring our community even closer over hand-picked and crafted food and drink.

Meet Your Monger: Austin

What does your day-to-day look like at France 44 Cheese as a buyer and cheesemonger? 

The highlight of any day is our customers, especially when we have a cheese they’ve been searching for or help them discover a new favorite. There’s a lot that goes into that moment, though: ordering, unloading the cheese truck, stocking the case, routine cheese maintenance like facing and rewrapping cuts of cheese, keeping things clean and cold, countless trips up and down the stairs to the cheese cave, washing your hands a hundred times a day, and of course, eating lots of cheese to see how it tastes and where it is in its life cycle. Michael Pollan called cheese makers (and mongers, by extension) “merchants of rot” because we deal in the spoilage of milk. We’re always trying to get the right cheese to the right customer at the right moment. 

You just competed at CMI (Cheese Monger Invitational). What were some highlights of that experience for you?
Spending a month and a half working with one cheese and devising a perfect beverage pairing, bite, and plate with that cheese is a singular experience. As for the event, being surrounded by people who are all so passionately involved in this thing we call “Cheese” was a great bonding experience. You learn a lot and have a lot of fun.

What cheese is really tasting particularly exceptional in the case for you right now?

We had an Italian air shipment arrive on Tuesday, and I love the playful, three milk (cow, goat, sheep) cheeses the Italians make like il Nocciolo, Rochetta, or robiolina wrapped in chestnut leaves . They have a mousse-like, almost ethereal, texture and a fresh, lactic tang. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a perennial favorite. I always find a new flavor in that cheese.

What are you currently reading? 

Two of the books I’m reading now are Il bar sotto il mare by Stefano Benni and Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel by Anatoly Kuznetsov.

How do you take your coffee? 

I read the Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy as a kid and now I can only take my coffee pitch black.

Meet Your Monger: Joe

Hey Friends! This week we’re featuring Joe. A true gem. Joe is a vital part of our day to day operations in the shop. He serves as local cheese buyer, and he is an absolute Wisconsinite through and through.

What cheese(s) are you enjoying in the case right now?

We got Cabezuela back! I love this little goat tomme from Madrid. I also love Chiriboga blue, a mild, buttery German blue that has become a staple in our case.

What does your life look like outside of France 44?

When I’m not slinging cheese and sammies, I’m a professional choir singer by night, currently involved in 4 different choirs around the Twin Cities. I also love trips to the park with my wife, Laura and dog, Guy.

What’s your favorite retail item in the shop ATM [at the moment]?

Our House F44 bacon. It has ruined all other bacon for me and I will never be able to quit it.

How do you take your coffee?!

Black when I’m working, lots of cream and sugar and chocolate and stuff when I’m not.

Say Hi to Joe next time you stop in!

Meet Your Monger: Cally

What’s your favorite current item we sell at France 44 Cheese?

My favorite item in the shop is the François Pralus hazelnut cream, “Crème de noisette.”

Describe to us what a “day in the life” of Cally looks like when you’re not making beautiful cheese boards here in the shop?

Outside of work I like to read, hang out with friends and family, and I’m currently learning how to knit and crochet.

What’s your idea of a perfect sandwich?

My ideal sandwich is either brie, apple, honey, and arugula or garlic confit, blue cheese, apple, arugula, and fig jam. (Ok yum…)

Current favorite cheese!?

My current favorite cheese in the shop is Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese! It’s great in salads, on sandwiches, and just for snacking. Although, you can never go wrong with Camembert :)

Meet Your Monger: Mita

What’s your current “favorite” item in the shop?
I think the best item in the shop is the key lime pie. Super tart and sweet with the perfect amount of whip.

What do you do outside of working at France44 Cheese?
I am a member of 3 dance companies and spend 4 evenings a week in rehearsal. I’m a professional seamstress for one of the companies as well but find myself taking time to play with ideas for new projects.

What’s your absolute FAV sando?
I mixed two of my favorites into one. The sweet monger I call it. It’s got chèvre, sriracha, quince paste, honey, chorizo, and mixed greens.