Meet the Monger: Sara

So how’d you find yourself working at France 44?

Many years ago, I worked in restaurants. I always worked front of house — serving, hosting. Then I joined the corporate world for six years working in project management and software development. The corporate life just wasn’t for me, and I wanted to get back into the food scene in some way. I saw that France 44 was hiring and was excited by the opportunities to learn here. I knew about France 44 because I frequented the St. Paul Cheese Shop when I was a student at Macalester.

What have you learned working here? What has surprised you?

I’ve been so impressed with the size and scope of the operation here. When you just walk in the door, you don’t see how many people work to make this place possible every day — the kitchen staff, the mongers, there are so many moving pieces. I’ve loved learning more about the sourcing of cheese & eat, the grocery buying, all the thought put into what we decide to put on our shelves.

Favorite cheese so far?

Brabander Goat Gouda.

Favorite sandwich?

The Spicy Monger has been my favorite ever since my days getting sandwiches at the St. Paul Cheese Shop.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I love to be outside, walk my dog, bike around the likes, read, cook, daydream about home improvement projects…

Ok last question - It’s your day off and you’re going out to eat. Where are you going?

For breakfast, definitely Our Kitchen. For dinner or drinks, Petit Leon. And I also do love Good Times pizza.

Meet the Butcher: Dewey!

What brought you to France 44?

In a nutshell, I had been living and working in Northern California after I attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. I moved back to the Twin Cities to help my brother open a restaurant, and that’s when I learned about France 44. I worked here for about six months when the whole animal butchery was just getting started years ago. I left to help open up Lowry Hill Meats and was a butcher there for a while, before moving on to Terzo where I was the AM Sous Chef.

I’m back now at France 44 as the lead butcher and am so excited to apply the knowledge I’ve gained over the years to our butcher program! I love the art and methodical pace of whole animal butchery. I’m often most excited by beef since it’s the largest animal we butcher here and presents a unique challenge, but I also love breaking down the pigs because we source Red Wattle Hogs from Pork and Plants. Red Wattle Hogs are unique and it feels really special to get to work with them.

What have you learned since being back at France 44?

Every chef has unique methods and preparations for any dish, and I’ve really enjoyed learning the recipes for liver mousse that we make here at France 44.

What’s your favorite cut of meat to take home?

I love a tri-top. It’s versatile and was a cut of meat that was very unique to Northern California, so I got to know it and appreciate it when living there.

Fav Sando?

It’s got to be the Grinder — I’ve got a soft spot for subs with lots of cured meat.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I’m in a bowling league at Elsies in Northeast, I’m in a softball league, and I have a huge garden at home where I grow tons of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers (we’ve harvested 20 lb of shishito peppers so far!). I also love to spend time with my dog, Miso.

What do you want our customers to know about meat?

I want people to understand more about how meat is processed and the artistry that goes into it. I want to make this butchery more accessible and approachable, and bridge the gap between consumers and the food they eat. I want customers to understand that meat comes from animals, and that the way the animals are raised and the way we process the meat is so important!

Meet Your Monger: Ellory

What brought you to the France 44 Cheese Shop?

I am originally from Texas, and over the last few years I’ve visited a friend in St. Paul a few times. Every time I visited, we went to the St. Paul Meat & Cheese shops for sandwiches. I decided that I wanted to relocate to the Twin Cities after college and I checked out the St. Paul stores to see if they had any interesting openings. I saw the opening for a cheesemonger at France 44 Cheese Shop and it seemed perfect! Everything happened really fast and I started my job here less than a week after my move.

What have you learned so far at the France 44 Cheese Shop?

I’m surprised how quickly I was able to memorize our menu and learn all of the sandwich and salad ingredients. But more than that, I’m learning how to pair meats with cheeses and craft new flavor combinations. I also really enjoy making the cheese boards that folks can order in the shop; putting them together is very interesting.

Fav cheeses?

I love the Double Cream Brie, and tried the Challerhocker this week which became another favorite.

Fav Sando?

It’s a toss up between the Sweet Chorizo and the Prosciutto di Parma.

What do you like to do when you’re not at France 44?

I am a fellow at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. I studied print making in college and because I often work the closing shift here, I go there in the mornings and work on print making as often as I can.

Is there anything else you want the world to know?

Next time you’re here, order the tiramisu. Just do it.

Meet your Monger: Leah

What brought you to the France 44 Cheese Shop?

I’ve been working at France 44 for about a year now. When I moved to Minneapolis, I was looking for a job and was open to all kinds of opportunities. I heard that there was a cheesemonger role open at France 44 and had to learn more - it was so intriguing that I could be a cheesemonger! And the rest is history.

What have you learned working as a monger?

So my background in food is mainly just eating a lot of it — this is my first actual job in food. I used to be just a sharp cheddar from the grocery store kind of person. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’ve gotten to try and learn about so much more here. I’ve learned about cheese styles from around the world, and could never go back to just eating grocery store cheeses. My favorite at the moment is Vallee Brebidoux, an organic sheep’s milk cheese from France. It’s got a hint of funkiness, a nice texture, and the right amount of tang. Perfect for snacking.

Speaking of favorites, what is your favorite France 44 sandwich?

I’m a vegetarian, so I haven’t had them all, but I love the mozz melt. For all the vegetarians out there: I make the best veggie surprise sandwich. My ideal would be: avocado, our house portobello bacon, mayo, Sriracha, onion, jalapeño, and a thick chunk of house mozz.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I have a music production hobby, I like to make electronic music on my laptop. I read the news a lot, always have my face in an article. And of course like any Minneapolis resident, I love to bike around the lakes in the summer!

So you’re fairly new to Minneapolis, what are some of your favorite finds so far?

I was lucky to land in the Uptown area, and I really love it. It’s got the best of both worlds, nestled between the shops and restaurants on Lyndale, the Walker/Sculpture Garden, and the lakes!

What’s something that would surprise us about you?

I have hiked part of the Appalachian Trail! I hiked it for a month with my girlfriend, until we had to leave the trail in Massachusetts because of an injury. But it was an incredible experience, I learned that I am capable of so much more than I had thought, and I can’t wait to finish the trail someday.

Meet your Monger: Rachel!

How’d you find your way to France 44? How long have you worked here?

I have been working here at France 44 for about two months. I have a background in food & beverage — I worked for 2 ½ years at Culver’s, 1 ½ years at Caribou, and 2 years at Starbucks, and was looking for a new job in the industry. I was searching for jobs and came across the Cheese Monger title, and the environment seemed really welcoming. My dad traveled for work when I was younger and would always bring foods home from around the world, especially cheese, for us to try. I knew that I would have the opportunity to taste new cheeses and learn in this job, so I knew I had to take it.

What’s your go to cheese?

I’ve been taking home a lot of the house mozzarella, I love to use it in caprese salads.

Go to Sando?

Prosciutto di Parma for sure.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I love to spend time with my cat, Gideon and play card games with my sister. Our favorite is Three Thirteen.

What is something that would surprise us about you?

I live with nine other people!

Favorite meal you’ve eaten lately? And what’s your dream meal?

I made a great Spam Musubi recently! My dream meal would be an all-you-can-eat sushi, somewhere with super fresh fish, especially salmon.

Meet your Monger: Lauren

How’d you find your way to France 44?

I was in the market for a new job after working in corporate for a while. I saw the title of “cheese monger” online while searching. It seemed super exciting. While I had worked in corporate for a long time, my first job and first love was in restaurants, so I decided to apply and now here I am!

What is your role here and what do you love about it?

Part of the fun of being a Cheesemonger here at France 44 is that we’re always moving around, helping out in different parts of the business. I work on the line making sandwiches, behind the cheese counter, help customers find what they’re looking for… It’s a very well oiled machine but it always stays interesting!

What’s your go-to cheese at the moment?

It would have to be Brabrander. It’s a goat milk gouda, so it combines two of my favorites.

Favorite sandwich?

To make: The Grinder.

To eat: Mozz Melt.

What’s something we wouldn’t know about you?

I have a 5 year old son, and he LOVES blue cheese. Eats it with a spoon.

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?

I mainly love to spend time with my family and check out breweries around the Twin Cities with our friends. It’s special to get time all together since we have such different schedules, so we always make the most of it.

What’s the best meal you’ve eaten recently?

For a recent birthday dinner, I went to both Martina and Rosalia in the same evening. Most notably, we had a salmon appetizer at Rosalia that was divine, I was really blown away by it.

Meet your Monger: Nora

We’re so glad you joined the staff at France 44. What has been something that’s surprised you here?

I’m glad to be here! I've been most surprised by the sheer size of the operation--and how many items are produced in-house.

What does your life look like outside of work? How do you enjoy spending your time?

Outside of work I dig into other projects, make rugs, try out new restaurants, shop vintage, and re-watch episodes of Degrassi.

What’s your favorite France 44 Sando or Salad?

Can’t go wrong with the Tuna Báhn Mi.

You’ve worked previously in media and publishing; what other ways do you express your creative self?

I try to keep my toe in the business with freelance editing gigs, but rugging and sketching have scratched the creative itch. I'm currently looking to get back into the ceramics scene.

Pineapple on pizza?

Who am I to stop you?

What’s your favorite Twin Cities restaurant, or your go-to spot?

Big question, I'll answer in a list: Lepot, Quang, Sooki & Mimi (basement bar), Reverie, Victor's, Black Sea...

Is there a cheese we carry that has blown you away?

The Alex.

Do you have a favorite retail item?

Brown butter crispy, hands down.

Meet Your Monger: Azeria

What drew you to working at France 44? 

I was teaching cooking classes before coming to France 44, and while I loved it, I needed something with more stable hours as my family grew. I had worked in production at a co-op and wanted to find something similar, so I applied to cook at France 44!

What is your background in cooking?  

I studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After cooking on the East Coast for a few years, I moved back to Wisconsin, where I am from, and made pizza for about 4 years before making my way to Minneapolis where I’ve cooked in restaurants and co-ops. I love to make simple, quality food; the kind of food that people really want to eat. 

What is one thing we do not know about you?  

I self-published a book of poetry!  

What do you like to do when you are not cooking at France 44? 

I love to play video games, Dungeons and Dragons, and I used to be in roller Derby! I also love to spend time with and play with my two kids.  

Do you have a dream meal?  

I actually cooked my dream meal when I catered my own wedding. It was a North-African/Mediterranean inspired meal. I cooked leg of lamb, couscous, and lots of veggies, and cooked it all in my wedding dress.   

What is your favorite thing about working at France 44?  

I like that every day is different – we produce so many different products, I’m never bored.  

Meet Your Monger: Anne

You’ve worked in restaurants and fine dining long enough to have an excellent understanding of the food scene here in the Twin Cities. What’s the last “best” meal you’ve had?

To be honest, that’s SUCH a hard question. I can’t pin point one because each place I’ve been to has my favorite (enter food item here). Although, Victors for brunch is high up there.

What does your life look outside of work? How do you spend your time, and what makes it meaningful to you?

My time outside of work is mostly made up of my husband, Jameson and our one-eared cat, Fibbs. We usually play a game every night, Cribbage, Battleship or Settlers of Catan.

Sounds like you have a pretty successful hand stitching and printing business as well! Tell us everything!

I started my own business during the pandemic, it’s called Northern Radiah. I’ve been sewing all my life thanks to my mom, Candy. And about ten years ago I decided for Christmas I was going to embroider custom shirts for all of our family members. They all loved them so I decided to take it further, so now I embroider all of my favorite things and make them into jewelry and other things. Usually it’s food, but there’s also some gnomes and Lord of the Rings things thrown in for fun.

You’re CRUSHING it at F44 Catering. Tell us something you didn’t expect, or something that surprised you?

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be so accommodating. I’m used to a work environment that’s telling you to work around it, but here everyone is willing to work around what you need and want as a person with a life outside of work.

Do you prefer “stuffing” or “dressing” ?

Stuffing, 100%. Bread stuffing. Not inside a bird… cause it doesn’t cook all the way that way, but no cornbread.

Waffles or Pancakes?

I like waffles more but pancakes are so much easier. I don’t have a waffle maker. Is French toast an option?

What do you make for dinner after a long day of work?

Whatever I’m feeling like eating. Even it will still take four hours, I’m doing it. Osso bucco on a Monday.

You have an incredible cheese background. What’s your go-to take home cheese, that you and your partner love to enjoy?

We have very different loves of cheese… but for me I’d say red hawk or good thunder. They’re like funky butter. And who doesn’t like butter?! (Besides vegans, sorry vegans.)

Favorite NYC slice (we won’t judge)

There’s a tiny place on the corner of Rivington and Essex in the Lower East Side that has the best dollar slice. But if you wanna spend a little more, L’Industrie in Williamsburg.

Where are you and your partner taking a vacation to next, and why!

We’re pub people, but neither of us have ever been to the UK. So England, Scotland and Ireland are next.

Meet Your Monger: Kennedy

You’ve worked in cheese previously, and as a fishmonger for many years in Minneapolis. What’s exciting about being a meat monger with us in the shop?

Love the idea of being a new "monger"! Our selection of meat is so wide and our product is so good! So it's been really exciting learning new cuts I'm not familiar with. Plus I just love to talk to people about the things we have in our shop.

What’s your current favorite cut in the case?

Picanha easily. It's such a delicious and tender cut. I honestly feel nothing compares! if you don't take it, I will!

Outside of work, what fills you with joy and how to do you like to spend your time?

To be entirely honest I'm a total nerd! I love to play D&D, board games, and card games!

Word on the street is you have two really cute dogs… names and variety?

I do! a little Frenchie named Pickles and an English bully named Tallulah.

You seem to be a person who enjoys our incredible restaurant scene here in the Twin Cities. What was the best thing you’ve eaten recently?

I actually recently had Hawaiian food from Ono in the North loop! Kalbi ribs, spam musubi and Hawaiian fried rice! Sooo filling!