Cheese Diary: Our Social Media Manager’s Favorite Spring Bites, from a Bubbling Mac and Cheese Bowl out of a Pittsburgh Dive Bar to a Cheese Shop Restock

See how much cheese someone who works at a cheese magazine actually eats at home and on the road.

Farmer’s cheese and rice dumpling at Fet-Fisk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by Alana Pedalino.

Some of my favorite things to do when traveling to new destinations are 1) stop into the nearest cheese shop for a taste of regional terroir and 2) visit local restaurants to order any unusual, creative, and, hopefully, cheesy meals. I also like to cook whenever I can; for breakfast, I go out of my way to include artisanal cheese whenever possible.

Below are my favorite bites of late, from a recent breakfast staple to perhaps the best mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten.

Everything bagel avocado mash with fried egg, sriracha, and Hook’s Little Boy Blue from the Cheese Lady in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photo by Alana Pedalino.

1) Everything Bagel Avocado Mash with Fried Egg, Sriracha, and Hook’s Little Boy Blue from The Cheese Lady in Grand Rapids, Michigan

I had the chance to visit the Cheese Lady in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in February—a cheese shop I highly recommend visiting if you’re traversing the Mitten State, and not just because it has culture on its shelves. The Cheese Lady is chock full of unique regional products and it’s next door to the award-winning Pux Cider. (Which makes the best damn apple cider I’ve ever had.)

Though I picked up several cheeses from the store, my fave was Hook’s Little Boy Blue. I can’t always find Little Boy Blue where I’m from, and I’m pretty sure the last time I had it in my cheese drawer I paired it with a dash of acacia honey and called it a day. This time, I added flair to a breakfast I often make—crumbled atop an everything bagel avocado mash with a fried egg and sriracha.

Boy oh boy, Little Boy Blue elevated this dish. The sheep’s milk blue played well with the sweet-spicy sriracha and the garlicky everything bagel seasoning, yielding a creamy depth of flavor when accompanied by a broken yolk and fatty avocado.

Pro tip: Sometimes when I want a carb boost, I fry a Trader Joe’s hashbrown patty and place it underneath the mash.

2) Various Cheeses and Cheese-adjacent products from Chantal’s Cheese Shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, the first thing I did was pop into Chantal’s Cheese Shop. Not only is Chantal’s owner, Anaïs Saint-André Loughran, ACS CCP (American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional), and her staff super knowledgeable, but the shop is brimming with local cheeses and cheese-adjacent products you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere—from paw paw spiceberry jam to cocktail mixtures made by a nearby neighbor.

I was able to sample and take home several Farm at Doe Run and Goat Rodeo cheeses—including a personal favorite, Wild Rosemary—in addition to this year’s World Cheese Award winner, Portugal’s Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado by Quinta do Pomar. Chantal’s also carries a delicious variety of meats, such as Casella’s prosciutto and Smoking Goose’s duck prosciutto, and products from Saint-André Loughran’s native France, such as peach nectar by Emile Vergeois.

The bottom line: for fancy food aficionados, Chantal’s is a can’t miss when in Pittsburgh. Grab your copy of culture here, too.

Farmer’s cheese and rice dumpling at Fet-Fisk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by Alana Pedalino.

3) Farmer’s Cheese and Rice Dumpling at Fet-Fisk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fet-Fisk may be a Norwegian-leaning seafood restaurant, but the chef knows their way around a cheesy app or two.

Last month, the James Beard nominee for America’s best new restaurant featured its homemade farmer’s cheese and toasted rice dumpling in a bath of fermented tomato and red pepper.

I found the seemingly unassuming menu item to be a showstopper. The blend of farmer’s cheese and toasted rice yielded a fluffy and creamy texture reminiscent of polenta; the broth was homey—a cozy soup I’d want on deck if I had a cold—and its sweetness complemented the sour farmer’s cheese.

Overall: a delicious revelation.

Mac and cheese from Kelly’s Bar and Lounge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by Alana Pedalino.

4) Mac and Cheese at Kelly’s Bar & Lounge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“We literally just ran out,” said the waiter after I asked for a plate of Kelly’s famous hand-rolled pierogis.

“OK, then I’ll just have the cup of mac and cheese,” I responded.

This turned out to be a great decision. That’s because Kelly’s makes its mac and cheese baked to order. The process takes about 20 minutes, but my cup arrived crisp on top but bubbling hot, like a crock of French onion soup. It also doesn’t hurt that Kelly’s is Anthony Bourdain-approved too.

Goat cheese with blueberry swirl ice cream from Blue Cow Ice Cream in Roanoke, Virginia. Photo by Alana Pedalino.

5) Goat Cheese with Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream from Blue Cow Ice Cream in Roanoke, Virginia

When my travels took me south, I savored an unexpected tart, creamy goat cheese ice cream with a dollop of whipped cream. Goat cheese is not typically a flavor of ice cream I see, and I appreciated this small batch creation from the folks at Blue Cow Ice Cream in Roanoke, Virginia. Having a cup by the Roanoke River next to trees in bloom was a nice reminder that spring’s in full swing and summer’s just around the corner.

In addition to their Roanoke outpost, Blue Cow has three other locations across Virginia in Fredericksburg, Richmond, and Virginia Beach.

Eggs Florentine from Bread Craft in Roanoke, Virginia. Photo by Alana Pedalino.

6) Eggs Florentine from Bread Craft in Roanoke, Virginia

Bread Craft is a bakery-café with a refined, Parisian vibe churning out delicious chocolate croissants, but even better brunches. I was pleased the menu offered croque monsieurs and madams in line with its French theme. However, I chose eggs Florentine on my trip since I was craving some greens.

I’m from Jersey, so I expected two poached eggs on a bed of spinach under some toasted bread, which is the diner style of eggs Florentine. At Bread Craft, I was presented with two perfectly poached eggs nestled within a white stoneware bowl of creamed spinach mixed with feta—a hybrid between eggs en cocotte and the innards of spanakopita.

Feta elevated this simple dish thoroughly, as did the surprise plating and the side of crunchy pieces of baguette for dipping. Bread Craft is a must visit if you find yourself driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Alana Pedalino

Alana Pedalino's work has been featured in Bon Appétit, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and The Buffalo News. She's currently serving as culture's social media manager. She loves to write poetry, cook spaghetti carbonara, and kayak. Follow her @APstyle on X. Read more by her at alanapedalino.com.