Pasta, cheeses, ham, olive oil, bread, fresh produce…. Faithful customers of Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, founded in 1902 in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, have long enjoyed a wide selection of these staples. With the current Coronavirus situation imposing social distancing, the “Penn Mac” team has adapted to soldier on in serving customers both locally and nationwide.
STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The Penn Mac store remains open for limited walk-in business. Customers are asked to wear a pair of the disposable rubber gloves provided at the store’s entrance. Normally packed aisles now only have a smattering of customers even though the shelves remain well-stocked.
“So far our suppliers have kept up with inventory,” says Adam Ehrlichman, Penn Mac’s cheesemonger who is pictured above in face mask.
On weekends customers usually stand 4 and 5 deep in front of the glass cheese counter and hold numbers to take turns buying cheese from Ehrlichman and his always engaging colleagues. Tasting samples always provides a highlight.
Now customers must stand back from the display case. Understandably no samples are available. Only a few customers were buying cheese during my recent visit. Even so, Penn Mac’s loyal customers still know what they like, and they will not be deterred from finding a convenient way to enjoy their favorites.
ONLINE ORDERING AND SHIPPING
“In-stores sales are down but our mail order business has been very solid,” Erhlichman says. “We ship all over the country except Alaska and Hawaii.”
Penn Mac offers an easy to navigate online ordering service. After placing an order and paying securely on-line, customers can either pick up the order with “store-to-car drop off” outside the store or have the order shipped via Federal Express. Penn Mac calculates shipping costs by weight and zip code. For cheese sales, they add a $5.00 “Cooler/Perishable Item Pack” charge to cover the cost of the cooler and dry ice.
In addition to cheese, Penn Mac’s entire line-up including Italian pastas, pizza flour, pizza sauces, olive oil, brined olives, cured meats, nuts, dried figs, balsamic vinegar, mustard–you name it–is available for shipping. If you previously purchased an item in the store but do not see it online, then order with an added Special Note to have the item included in the shipped order. Produce and eggs also can be added as a Special Note. Orders ship Monday through Thursday.
PENN MAC CHEESE ORDERS ONLINE AND SHIPPED
Start by trying some fantastic cheeses with Penn Mac’s online prices listed:
BERTHAUT ÉPOISSES FROM BURGUNDY
There’s nothing to match the pleasures of a glistening, creamy Époisses ($21.49) from Burgundy. The Berthaut brand comes in a round, wooden container and it made from cow’s milk from northern Burgundy. As a classic washed cheese, it has a lovely, vivid orange rind. Intense, earthy aromas are its trademark. Yet the intense aromas give way to subtle, slightly sweet flavors wrapped in a creamy, even runny texture. When Époisses attains perfect ripeness, you can spoon it it onto slices of baguette.
Pair it with a fruity cru Beaujolais such as the delicious 2018 Damien Coquelet, Morgon “Côte du Puy” (Available online from Chambers Street Wines; $25.99). Coquelet uses gamay grapes grown organically on granite slopes. Meticulous vineyard work, hand harvesting, native yeast fermentation, minimal sulfites—it all adds up to a natural, gulpable wine in the best sense! Pure and fruity with ripe black cherry and light earthiness. Uplifting, fresh acidity and fine tannins carry the finish.
ALPAGE SBRINZ FROM SWITZERLAND
“Alpage Sbrinz is one of Europe’s oldest traditional cheeses and one of my favorites,” Ehrlichman says. “It has flavors like high quality Gruyère but it’s harder like Parmigiano Reggiano.”
Penn Mac carries cheese purveyor Gourino’s Alpage Sbrinz ($24.99/lb.). It is made with fresh raw milk from cows eating only grass and hay in the Swiss Alps. By law, as an extra hard cheese it must age and ripen for at least 18 months. Gourino’s Alpage Sbrinz ripens for 36 months to develop full, rich flavors and complex aromas.
Pair it with the 2018 Domaine Jean Vullien Fils, Chignon Bergeron “Les Divolettes,” Savoie, France (Available as PLCB Luxury Code 80503; $22.99). It comes from Roussanne vines growing on steep limestone scree slopes. The wine’s golden color offers ripe peach and apple aromas with savory herbal notes and a perhaps a touch of subtle oak. Concentrated, ripe flavors follow in the glass balanced by uplifting acidity and pleasant creamy notes. The rich, dry finish also pairs well with a classic Savoyard cheese tartiflette made with potatoes, cream, bacon and melted alpine cheese.
MORBIER FROM THE JURA MOUNTAINS
Morbier comes from the same fresh cow’s milk used in France’s Jura Mountains to make the famed Comté cheese. But since Morbier does not receive prolonged cellar aging, it has a much softer, more elastic texture than Comté. A trademark layer of black ash in the cheese’s center also highlights Morbier’s distinctive appearance. Penn Mac’s delicious Morbier ($14.99 online) offers light earthy, grassy aromas and creamy, savory flavors. Pair it with a crisp, dry chardonnay.
ROQEUFORT LE GABRIEL COULET FROM FRANCE
Penn Mac’s high quality Roquefort Le Gabriel Coulet (inquire for the market price) is a highly esteemed brand of the famous Roquefort blue cheese. Made from raw sheep’s milk in southwest France, the salted cheese ages on oak planks in cool limestone caves for around 150 days to develop the blue veins. The caves’ natural ventilation creates a perfect ambiance for the process. Today the producer remains a family-owned, independent business committed to preserving the traditions.
The Roquefort Le Gabriel Coulet has a creamy, ivory white color with blue veins. It delivers intense earthy and nutty flavors. The flavors have an explosive intensity that mellows in the cheese’s marvelous creaminess. The finish lingers nicely.
Pair it with a sweet, but well balanced wine from southwest France such as the 2013 Château Richard, Saussignac “Cuvée Tradition.” The wine comes from hand-picked Sémillon and Muscadelle grapes affected by “Noble Rot” (i.e., botrytis cinerea). This beneficial mold dries and shrivels the grapes to concentrate flavors and sugars. The wine’s enchanting aromas of honey, pineapple and ripe melons open to a sweet, rich texture. Just enough freshness create a perfect balance to deliver a lovely counterpart to the savory cheese.
Have you been ordering online either from Penn Mac or other favorite retailers? Share your experiences in comments section below and cheers!