Philadelphia’s Tenaya Darlington, aka Madame Fromage, Photo by Jason Varney
The Foodies are Coming
by Grid Staff
Most Philadelphians take for granted that they can stroll down to the Italian Market or hit Reading Terminal to find some of the best artisan offerings in the world, many of which are made right here in Pennsylvania. Our cheeses are no exception, and food-tourism company Cheese Journeys is on its way to town with a gaggle of tourists to sample our region’s best rounds from Sept. 1 through 4.
Company founder and CEO Anna Juhl is an Iowa native who first honed her business chops at Juhl Haus Market & Café, a family business in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s since traveled the world for the love of food, and other tour locations this fall include Northern Italy, England, France and Switzerland. She says that after meeting Philadelphia’s Tenaya Darlington—a food and spirits writer also known as Madame Fromage—and Di Bruno Bros. owner Emilio Mignucci, she was hooked on doing a tour in our hometown.
“I fell in love with the people and the food culture of Philadelphia the first time I met with Tenaya and Emilio,” says Juhl. “The city’s food culture is diverse and authentic, and the beautiful farms and rolling hills of Chester County remind me of the rural countryside where I grew up in the Midwest.”
Darlington and Mignucci will help host the Philadelphia tour. It’s a steep price tag—double occupancy starts at $1,950 per person if you’re serious about your double crème Brie. For non-Philadelphians, that may give you first-time exposure to offerings from regional standouts such as Birchrun Hills Farm, Meadowset Farm and Wyebrook Farm, as well as local libations from Victory Brewing Co. and Rowhouse Spirits. But if you’re a committed local cheese lover who has dreamed about going to an after-hours event at Di Bruno’s where you can ask for a sample of any cheese in the shop, here’s your chance for a dairy-filled staycation, Philly.
