Did you know Austin has a dedicated cheese shop? Most of you dedicated foodies have probably heard the news long before now. But have you been yet? I'm a little ashamed to admit, its taken me a few months to make my way all the way up to Hyde Park to check it out. Now that I live downtown and work south, anything north of 38th street is practically Waco! But, curiosity got the better of me one afternoon and hopped in my car to pay a visit to Antonelli's.
I'd met the proprietor and "Head Cheese" monger John Antonelli at Tasty Touring's Beer and Cheese tasting party ages ago. Their shop hadn't quite opened yet, but the delectable cheese they offered to pair with 512 brewery's delicious beer was a combination too yummy to even describe. Who knew cheese and beer go so well together!

The Antonelli's are a sweet couple who are very, very passionate about cheese. If you come to their shop, they will give you little samples of whatever cheese you want on tiny little spoons. They'll explain what all the different types of cheese are and their properties. They'll tell you what makes a good cheese, and like wine, what you should be tasting in each cheese.
And their selection, while not the biggest in town, is definitely the most well chosen. There isn't a bad cheese in that store!

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than a glass case full of delicious cheese??






If you get a chance, you should really check out Antonelli's, particularly now that it's picnic season!