Sweet dreams are made of cheese…To brie, or not to brie, that is the question…We always share some cheesey puns and lots of laughs with The Antonelli’s!

Today John Antonelli, co-owner of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop gave Steph a lesson on packing the perfect date night picnic including the best cheeses to pick for our toasty Texas weather.

John focused on cheeses that had a strong enough flavor to sit on ice and still taste great. He explained that cheese exposes its maximum flavor when served closer to room temperature but good picnic cheeses are bold enough to be served cold without sacrificing flavor. So, take your cheese out of the fridge 30min-1 hour before eating for maximum enjoyment or choose a cheese with a strong flavor when it needs to be served cold.

Before you go out on your picnik, get your date started at the cheese shop by figuring out your favorite cheese with a little help from a cheese monger. Then pack up your bag with your favorites and pair it with a bubbly drink. The Antonelli’s suggest pairing cheese with bubbles because the effervescence of the bubbles picks the cheese right up off your palate, into the olfactory, for a new third flavor. From beer to wine to cider to sparkling water, it’s the way to go.

If you don’t feel like going on a picnik date then go to one of their date night classes held in their Cheese House! They even have a fondue and chocolate version… yum.

Owners John and Kendall Antonelli opened their cheese shop in Hyde Park in 2010, the first dedicated shop of its kind in Austin. The couple used to run a grilled cheese club out of their house, until John quit his job as a CPA, and the two went on a European tasting mission that included an internship at a French cheese ager. Antonelli’s stocks a number of Texas-made varieties from the goat farms of Texas Hill Country and cattle farms out on the Plains. All of their raw materials are responsibly sourced from artisans and farmers who manage their lands ethically.

The Cheese Shop has since grown to include the “Cheese House.” While the Cheese Shop remains their dedicated retail space, the Cheese House, located directly across the street, is home to cheese education classes and host to private event functions.

You can learn more about the Antonelli’s and their very Gouda, Brie-licious cheeses on their website.

You can also learn about their Date Night Classes by visiting online!