Antonelli's Cheese Shop

Flavors of Spring

Spring has sprung! Officially, the spring season began on March 20. I'm always hesitant this time of year whether to plant my pots - or hold out for that last freeze.

GIVEAWAY, TikTok, &

Sometimes, they can be a bit romanticized. And yet sometimes, when we revisit something from our past, it’s just as memorable as we thought it was.

Non-alcoholic Beer & Cheese Pairing

We’re only here because farmers do their thing (and herdsmen and women, cheesemakers, and more). So we’re grateful for the opportunity this month to support the Central Texas Young Farmer’s Coalition as our Charitable Cheese Cause for July.

Gelato & Cheese Class...IS BACK!

Pictured here is Dolce Neve's Fromage Blanc and Peach Gelato. An annual favorite that many of you missed - and begged for - last year (that we couldn’t figure out how to pull off virtually) was our Cheese & Gelato Class collaboration with Dolce Neve.

Ugly Tears, July 4th Cheese

Y’all. Y’all. I realize that isn’t very eloquent or poetic but this wordy woman was speechless when we opened our doors last Thursday to a line of awesome customers waiting to come in.

TODAY Is the Day! We Are OPEN!

After 456 days of being closed to walk-ins, we can excitedly proclaim that, as of 11am today, WE ARE OPEN for customers to come into our cut-to-order shop.

Announcing Our REOPENING Date!

AHAHAHAH! I feel transported back almost 12 years ago when we scrambled to open the doors at Austin’s first cut-to-order cheese and charcuterie shop.

Announcing In Person Father's Day Tasting

I don’t know about y’all, but I feel like I’m in a weird limbo. It’s not good, nor bad. Just limbo.

Big Milestone for Our Business

While John, the kids, and I were shark tooth hunting last week, the team got busy gearing up for a summer reopening of the shop, Cheese House events, and more.

Chocolate Covered Bacon...

Oh how all the clichés are running through my head. “The light at the end of the tunnel.” “Brighter days ahead.” And yes, I feel it! Despite daily rain and thunderstorms, I increasingly feel a weight off my chest and pep to my step.

Our First IN PERSON Event...

Y’ALL! It has been TOO LONG! And while we’ve been grateful to see the back of your heads as we load goodies into your car trunks this past year, we are thrilled at the prospect of seeing you in person.

Deadline: Mother's Day Orders

Happy 9th Birthday to my Everett Max! Yes friends, you get to read that message in your weekly cheese newsletter, hopefully reminding you that we’re a small mom and pop behind the veneer of a successful biz.

One of a Kind Tasting Event

Thu 4/29 - Hey pork lovers! Hey Spain lovers! Hey locavore lovers! This Thursday, we’re offering a one-of-a-kind virtual tasting experience of the only herd of Iberico hogs in the United States - and one of the few outside of Spain itself.

Today (Mon) is the Deadline!

We’re a finalist (!) in the Austin Chronicle Best Of Poll, listed among some amazing other folks for Most Innovative Pivot in the Food category.

New Cheese Alert!

We’re a finalist (!) in the Austin Chronicle Best Of Poll, listed among some amazing other folks for Most Innovative Pivot in the Food category. Some of you regular might recall: within days of SXSW being canceled and us losing 95% of our wholesale revenue (plus a lot of lost product), we immediately went virtual and hosted our first tasting.

A Taste of Spring!

Whether you observe this coming weekend as part of your spiritual practice or Easter signals to you the arrival of spring, we’ve got some fun ways to honor the week.

Easter Candy & Cheese Pairing!

Thu 4/1 - Last year, one of our big first pandemic events was a virtual Easter Candy & Cheese Pairing. Over 200 of you joined us - either solo or with your families - for this fun tasting. I know time is a weird vortex right now, but it turns out Easter is just around the corner.

Help Us - and Texas...

WSpring Break is here - which if you’re an adult without children, really means just any other week.

FIRST Charcuterie 101 Class Tomorrow

Tuesday 3/9 - This is our FIRST EVER class to offer that doesn’t include cheese. I know. Big moment.

Taste of Texas Class

omorrow marks Texas Independence Day. Honestly, I’m still feeling a little - um - uncomfortable after the whole “we have our own power - and lost it” thing.

March Tasting Schedule!

(Deep breath. Where to start…) We hope this finds you as well as can be expected, especially our Texas folks, considering the events of the past week. It’s yet another one of those “there’s no getting back to business as usual” when folks are still suffering.

Help a Neighbor in Need

Every morning this week, we’ve had a call-in huddle of our leadership to check in on each other - starting with identifying who is/was without power, water, and provisions.

Hard to Get Cheeses

Eleven years ago today, we were anxiously awaiting our “Certificate of Occupancy.” The media had already published our official opening date of Feb 11, yet our CO kept getting pushed back. Here we were, two days to go, and just an empty shop.

FREE CHEESE WEEK(s)

Somehow, Free Cheese Week turned into Free Cheese WEEKS over the past two years, and why not?! We’re going for it. Things look a bit different this year though.

New Texas Iberico Maker!

Texas Hill Country at the Trail’s End Ranch under Ashly Martin’s care. Martin is a third-generation rancher in Comfort, Texas, and as far as we know, this is the only herd like it in the United States.

Preorder Valentine's - limited

I wasn’t ready to promote it yet, but apparently we’re already getting lots of inquiries. So we’re on it! Yes, we have a plethora of ways you can plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day with us.

January Tastings Added!

It’s January - a time when lots of folks recommit to their health in some way. Don’t throw out the cheese! Some of the healthiest societies in the world consume cheese, and it’s been proven to have many significant health benefits.

A New Chapter...

They’re often hard. This week, we say farewell to our wholesale director Alex, who has been with us for over six years.

Roast 2020

I know many of us are ready to bid a big ole adieu to 2020. And, as is the theme this year, it looks like we’re gonna have to do it secluded style, stuck at home.

Birthday Gift

Today’s my birthday and, perks of being the one who writes this email weekly, I get to proclaim it to the world. I even gifted you all the Great Conjunction alignment of Saturn and Jupiter for the first time in 800 years.

Gift Deadlines

AH! Austin! Cheese Shop Friends Near and Far! You are AMAZING! Truly! Due to increased demand, as well as challenging work conditions (ie smaller pods),

All About Molds Class

Can I eat the rind? What kind of mold is good mold (versus bad mold)? How do I know if this mold is supposed to be here or not? Well, you can find out! Come dive deep into the world of mold with us as we unpack the biochemistry of cheese molds. Of course, we can’t do it alone.

Holiday Cookies & Cheese Pairing

This Wed 12/2 - Deadline to get tickets is by NOON TUES 12/1 A couple of months ago, we hosted our first ever Cheese & Cookie pairing class - teaming up virtually with the awesome and talented bakers of Abby Jane Bakeshop.

Accountability

A simple, bountiful, from the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU to everyone who made a purchase from us this year, has plans to include us in your festivities this week, has shared a post, told a friend, read a newsletter, and otherwise just supported our team with a kind smile.

WHEN TO SHOP this week

Let’s be honest. It’s been a doozie of a year. And we’re not gonna sugar coat it. Whether you’ve worked harder than ever as an essential worker - or perhaps not gotten to work at all...Whether you’ve been cooped up at home with many folks in one small space or have been lonely and isolated from family friends.

Deadline: Thanksgiving Boxes!

Last week, both Eleanor (our production lead) and David (our shop beverage purchaser) received notification that they passed the American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional Exam.

Special Cheese & Chocolate Class Wed!

Chocolate is a gift of love to yourself.” Sonja Blumenthal “Chocolate is happiness that you can eat.” Ursula Kohaupt Read More

Now Accepting Thanksgiving PREORDERS!

We are lucky to have Casie Wiginton, a Certified Cider Professional, as part of our team. (Yes, that CCP is a thing...and to boot, Casie is also a Certified Cheese Professional.

World's Best Cheese...

Only 11 tickets left! This Wednesday, all the selections and pairings were picked by yours truly (Kendall) to see how they compared to John’s picks last week.

Halloween Candy & Cheese Pairing!

Wed 10/21 and/or Wed 10/28 - It's BA-AACK! Featured on BuzzFeed and an annual favorite is our cheese and Halloween candy pairing. Only this year, we're upping the ante by offering TWO TASTINGS with ALL NEW PAIRINGS and NO REPEATS.

Rare Class Offering: Cheese 201

For years y’all begged for more regular Cheese 201 classes, and we were thrilled that we got to team up with food scientist Pat Polowsky during the pandemic to create some unique (virtual) tasting events.

We NOW CARRY CONSERVAS!

Tuesday, Oct 6 at 6:30pm *Ticket Purchasing Deadline Tonight Know what pairs really well together? Cheese and Chocolate!

Cocktail & Cheese Pairing - DEADLINE TODAY

Plans Wednesday evening? Join John and me (Kendall) for our first Cocktail & Cheese Pairing on Facebook Live.

RACLETTE NIGHTS ARE BACK!

Last fall, we launched Raclette Nights in the Cheese House, and we blew up the internet.

Last Chance: Cookies & Cheese

We got some great and fun news last Thursday. John won the Austin Under 40 Hospitality Award! After being nominated for the past 2 years and subsequently being named a Finalist both years, he’s taking home the win this 3rd time.

New: Cookies & Cheese Tasting!

I catch myself doing it multiple times a day. When my eyes first blink open in the morning. Another day of the abnormal. Deep inhale.

September Events Announced!

You still have time! Any purchase made online today will help benefit Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center as part of our monthly #CharitableCheeseCause initiative to live our #DoGoodEatGood mission.

Support a California Maker...

Hey Friends. We’d originally scheduled for today a “Behind the Scenes” Virtual Cheese Tasting with Point Reyes Cheese of California.

First Ever SPICY Cheese Tasting!

On second thought, maybe this is NOT the title to grab your attention, since I’m pretty sure that every person in Texas right now questions our choice of location.

Pineapple Cheese?! How Flavor Works...

We often describe a certain type of cheeses as fruity; Parmigiano Reggiano is known for pineapple and tropical fruit notes.

New Local Cheese Alert!

We've got a handful of brand new and seasonal cheeses that have made it back into our case.

A New Texas Cheese! & Aug Classes

When we first started out, we looked at other business models, often saying to ourselves, “Yes! We want to be THAT kind of business.”

SO Many New Products!

Does one day run into the next for you? Lost all track of time during this pandemic? Days just transition into evening? Especially for those folks working from home, it can be hard to know when the work day begins or ends.

Tasting: Celebrate France!

In case you’re wondering what’s for dinner tonight, or a snack tomorrow, or breakfast the next day (you get the point), know that we have a lot of cheese!

Honey & Cheese TOMORROW

Tomorrow Night on Wed 7/8! Deadline to purchase tix midnight tonight. Okay, since the beginning of the pandemic when we launched our virtual tastings, John has wanted to do a Honey & Cheese Pairing.

New Tasting: Cheese 201!

Mon 6/29: Eat cheese and feel good about it! One day a month, we spotlight a local nonprofit doing great work in our community.

New Cheese 201 SERIES!

As I pondered what to write for our introductory greeting, I realized that you haven’t really heard from us personally in the past few months

Cheese & Soda Pairing...

Wed 6/17 - Deadline TODAY to purchase tickets If you’ve watched any of our Facebook Live tastings that John and I have hosted, you know that we always have bubbles in hand.

Accepting Same Day Orders!

Throughout the pandemic, our weekly emails have centered on what’s next as we - and many of you - have lived day to day.

(non-alcoholic) Soda & Cheese Pairing...

Sat 6/6 (6-7:30 pm) - One-of-a-Kind Event! Ever heard of rotational grazing? Or wondered how animal diet affects cheese flavor? Or just seen a happier group of dairy cows than these?!

Announcing...

Austin doesn’t lack for great beverage folks, and we are thrilled to collaborate with many often. Still, collaborating during the pandemic has been challenging, and we haven’t done any beverage pairings since February.

A Black Tie Affair

Wed 5/20 (6-7 pm - but accessible online later): Facebook Live with The Antonellis - AWARD-WINNERS! Yes, we’re featuring all award-winning cheeses…

May Class Tickets

Wed 5/13 (6-7 pm - but accessible online later): Taste of Vermont via Facebook Live with John and Kendall Antonelli Did you know that Vermont is known for making some of the best artisan cheese nationwide?.

BEST CHEESE IN THE WORLD!

If you haven’t noticed by now, we offer various different styles of virtual tastings. And we’ve enjoyed hosting OVER 2000 of you since we launched these 6 weeks ago! THANK YOU! The win-win?

Special Mother's Day Edition

We know mamas come in all shapes and sizes. Some biological, chosen or adopted. Many have lost their mamas or can’t be with them. For some, it’s “just” that special woman in their lives that cared for them and told them they could.

Facebook Live Tasting WED

I am so proud and honored to serve on the board of the American Cheese Education (ACE) Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit organization.

Order by 8am...

Usually, it hits me at some point in the week: “Oh! This is what I’ll write about in this week’s newsletter.” But those days are fewer and fewer. Instead, many of us are just “hanging on.” And our arms are tired! While we’re all in different positions (and personally we are so grateful and blessed), we can feel it in the air.

Roadtrip USA Virtual Tasting!

Wed, April 22 (6-7 pm) - Cheese & Road Trip Pairings… Facebook Live with The Antonellis Yep, we’re feeling a little kooky these days, as well as cooped up!

Easter Candy & Cheese Pairing!

Thank you for letting us be your boredom cure - or at least provide you with a little escapism for an evening. Our events continue to see out. We have lots of tickets for later in the month.

ONE OF A KIND EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Well, it was bound to happen. I broke down crying and crawled back into bed yesterday morning by 9:30 am. But it had nothing to do with business - y’all have been awesome!

We are Open!

Yes, more news has come out and we anticipate that Austin will follow Dallas's guidance to shelter in place, with the exception of groceries and essential services

BIG (good) NEWS!

Empty shelves at grocery stores got you down? Fear not! We have 8000 pounds of cheese and meat to move...The upside to challenging times is that it forces us to adapt, innovate, get scrappy, bear down, and do what we do - better… and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Business as Usual?

Yes! … and no. Here’s how and why: there’s a lot of information out there, and it’s hard to sift through it all; we understand the concern and pandemonium and we’re taking it seriously and monitoring the latest updates from the WHO, CDC and from the City of Austin

What's a Feminist Cheese?

March is Women’s History Month and this Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, so we’re all about celebrating women.

Have you heard of our Cheese-y Bus Tour?!

Yep, it may sound crass. But it’s something we do in the small retail world. We keep track of how we’re doing against the goal, against budget. Is traffic down or is it up?

New Events Announced!

I’m not sure what happened to winter (or was it ever here?!) and spring is officially still a month away, but these spring showers are rejuvenating us.

TODAY- Free Birthday Cheese!

I’m sitting here this morning on this dreary day, scrambling to write our 10-year email (yes, I’m behind schedule) and looking for perspective in my cup of jo. All the things we could say or write. All the people who deserve appreciation. But truly, I’m am just excited

FREE 10-Year Cheddar!

There’s more to come! Thanks to those who have celebrated our #FreeCheeseWeek with restaurant partners around town.

Deadline: Superbowl Trays!

Step up your football munchie game with one of our cheese and cured meat trays. Whether you're hosting, headed to a friend's, huddling up at home, or not watching at all, we're pretty sure you can't go wrong with a big ole board of delish treats

Music + Cheese

Feb 21 (6:30 pm) - An Antonelli's Social: Featuring Aaron Stephens and Sponsored by Virtuoso Wines Our new series,An Antonelli's Social, is the perfect experience for both music and cheese lovers alike!

New Events! Farmer for a Day!

Have you ever dreamed of spending your days with the goats or making your own dairy creations? Now you can with our new event, A Day In The Life of a Dairy Farmer! Amelia Sweethardt and Hope Boatright of Pure Luck Farm & Dairy.

Cheese for Bushfire Relief

For those of you who have been in the Cheese Shop, looked across the street, and pondered, "But what do you do over there?" - know that our 110-year old Cheese House is our events venue.

Deadline: NYE Cheese Trays!

It's not too late! Get your order placed online today, and we'll build that beautiful cheese, cured meat, or antipasti board for you tomorrow morning - just in time for you to be the hit at your New Year's celebration.

What's the most religious cheese?

We all know the trend is to gift experiences. After all, you can't beat a good time with good people (over good food!). Whether purchasing for yourself or as a gift this holiday season, you've got a couple of options.

Last Chance - Seasonal Cheeses

Be still my heart. We have a couple of wheels left of newly-crowned World Champion cheese Rogue River Blue. How did the season already come and go? We're down to a handful of wheels left of Black Betty

FREE EVENT - Noon Today

Breaking into an entire wheel of Parm is a right of passage for every cheesemonger, and today at noon in the Cheese Shop,

Record-breaking...

We feel the spirit of the season! I caught myself yesterday taking a deep breath in the car and having a mindfulness moment to just soak it all in.

Raclette Night TONIGHT!

Woohoo! We are about to hit our all-time record of preorders of our special Thanksgiving Cheese Course bags. We only have a small amount left, since we specially order the product in for the holiday. Get your online order placed by midnight for pickup the following date.

Beer & Cheese Class!

Here's to those of you who have made us part of your holiday tradition for the past 8 years! Yes, we're offering a selection of cheeses, meats, and pairings in Small ($65) or Large ($115 - pictured to left) for your Thanksgiving Cheese Course!

PREORDER- Limited!

ON SALE NOW

What's better than chilling in the Cheese House, grazing on a handful of cheeses (with pairings), and listening to live music?

LAST CHANCE - Cheese-y Bus Tour

The annual arrival of Black Betty is something we look forward to for months every year at Antonelli's and indeed nation-wide!

NEW CLASS ADDED

Celebrate this gorgeous weather with one of our farm tours! And heads up, with two classes already sold out, we JUST ADDED a third Spooky Pairings.

Limited Edition Pumpkin Chevre

We push ourselves daily to live this mission and think of all the different ways we can apply it. This past weekend, John and I organized a border service trip with Servant Church.

Tix Avail for Class TONIGHT!

We know it doesn't feel like it outside, but it really is "Fall in Austin," which of course means new cheeses!

Party Bus with the Antonellis

...on our Cheese-y Bus Tour with 49 of your new best friends! That's right. It's here! Next Sat 10/5, we are personally hosting one of our favorite events of the year.

Perspective, Bouncing Back, and Basil

Yes, this email title is a hodgepodge of seemingly random introduction. Thus is my brain these days! But let's see if you can follow me here.

Introducing Cheese-y Brunch...

For all those who like to get their brunch on, we're offering a Sunday tasting - during sunshine hours - this Sunday 9/15 at 12:30pm

National Salami Day...

We've got a handful of brand new and seasonal cheeses that have made it back into our case.

A Sellout Cheese...

To round out what has been an amazing National Goat Cheese month, we're bringing it on home! Goats are stubborn and hearty little beasts, so it's no surprise that they're well suited for our wonderful "seasons" in Central Texas.

B-B-B-BIG Events (read this one!)

Whew. When we sent out an announcement eight months ago that we were closing the doors on our downtown venture to get back to our Passion With Purpose, that is, spreading joy through food and telling the stories of artisanal producers, we weren't quite sure what the future of our business looked like

Your Chance To Taste...

Ever tasted a piece of cheese immediately after a wheel has been cut into?

August Classes...

Come celebrate National Goat Cheese Month in the Cheese Shop! For the month of August, we'll be featuring some of our favorite goat's milk producers and cheeses.

Taste your FAVEs.....

A Whirlwind Week(end) Whew! And I don't say that easily, since John and I love to live life in the fast lane.

Dreams Come True!

We are thrilled and excited to share the news that we've been invited to serve as food guides for a special Curated Touring trip to Tuscany this September 29 through October 6.

Celebrate National Cheese Day!

You can visit us in the shop and pick and choose your own treats, or you can let us do all the work.

GIVEAWAY

As we pass from SXSW madness into Spring Break (for those in school or parenting/herding those in school)

Cheddar, Whiskey, & Dad

Father's Day Fun A month ago we transported you and Mom to Hawaii, and this month we travel to the Scottish Isle of Mull with Dad for Father's Day.

New Taste of Place Classes

How does a Missourian ask for cheese? They say, "Show Me!" This week in the Cheese Shop we're excited to feature a producer from The Show-Me State, Green Dirt Farm!

National Wine & Cheese Day!

.Is tomorrow, Thursday 7/25 - and you bet we're celebrating. Visit us in the Cheese Shop from 11am to 7pm. We'll be tasting a couple of our fave wine and cheese pairings and all are invited for the complimentary fun.

New Class Added!

Thanks to everyone for helping us grow our class and tastings schedule. We love spreading the curd word! If you haven't been.

GELATO CLASS IS BACK...

It's Getting Hot in Here... Oh yes, July isn't even here yet and we're already feeling it. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining.

Bastille Day Cheese Class

Didn't get to take that European summer vacation? Or perhaps you're recently back but still dreaming of being away.

Patriotic Cheese Class

Long live the Land of the Free! And tomorrow on Tues 7/2, we're excited for one of our fave classes: Taste of Place - The USA!

Flavors of Spring

Spring has sprung! Officially, the spring season began on March 20. I'm always hesitant this time of year whether to plant my pots - or hold out for that last freeze.

A CASE OF THE MONDAYS

As we pass from SXSW madness into Spring Break (for those in school or parenting/herding those in school)

WHAT'S NEW: BOOK YOUR PRIVATE EVENT ONLINE

We've got a handful of brand new and seasonal cheeses that have made it back into our case.

JUST KEEP SMILIN

Yesterday, I was left speechless after a discussion with a gentleman named Robert.... which never happens, because I'm always talking.

(CHANNELING) THE POWER TO SAY NO

Inhale. Exhale. This time of year... I know the holidays can be a bit chaotic for some folks. For those of us in retail...

WHAT'S NEW: Thanksgiving Holiday (Orders and Hours)

There's still time! You've got just over 22 hours to get your online order processed; they're due by noon Tuesday (for Wednesday pickups)