Enter slowly through the front door at 33 Jordan St. and gradually take in the aromas of more than 20 cheeses, freshly brewed coffee, baking bread and a gentle ambiance that pervades every nook and cranny.
Gaze through a display case, admire the scenery, take a taste — a purely blissful taste — of what is in store for the community.
“We hope that it is a ... really nice compliment to what Skaneateles has to offer,” Erica Derrick said Thursday afternoon.
Already outfitted with a gourmet meat shop, bakery, coffee shops, a seafood eatery and pasta places, what was missing in the magical village was dairy. So, for about two years Derrick and Lorand Ernyey talked, discussed, dabbled and ate cheese while they contemplated what kind of gourmet shop they wanted to open, because they knew no matter what kind of business they had, it was going to be gourmet foods of one variety or another.
“While we’re thinking about what to do, we’re nibbling on cheese,” Derrick said, and that’s when the genius to have a cheese shop struck the couple.
“This is a very common thing in Europe. So, bring a little bit of Europe [to Skaneateles],” Ernyey said. “We would like a European flavor, an international flavor.”
According to Derrick, the shop will carry approximately 29 different cheeses to start and they are looking for feedback from the community. What do you like? What have you been trying to find but can’t? What is your favorite cheese?
While Derrick and Ernyey were preparing their new shop, several community members stopped in to see what was happening — and talked about what they might like to try to satiate their hunger.
“We want to be able to accommodate,” Derrick said. “There’s nothing intimidating here. Food is fun. It brings people together.”
Some people may be afraid to try certain things because of their aromas, but Derrick encourages tasting different types of cheeses and other foods because the aroma may be misleading. And try it with different kinds of drink.
For instance, a five-year aged Gouda at the shop has a buttery, caramel taste, which can be paired beautifully with the perfect coffee, she said.
Derrick, who splits her time between Skaneateles and New York City for the time being, and Ernyey, a Skaneateles resident since the 1970s who came to the area by way of Hungary, opened the door Thursday Sept. 3 and officially welcomed the community to try curry chicken, Mediterranean rice, a variety of cheeses, wines from Pheasant Ridge Vineyards of Jamesville and coffees from places spanning the globe.
Offering everything from artisan cheeses, bagels and breads to prepared sandwiches, soups and salads and a plethora of other delicious treats, Ernyey and Derrick plan to add teas, more cheeses and chocolates to their inventory.
The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday and is located at 33 Jordan St., directly across from Joe’s Pasta Garage. Once established, Ernyey and Derrick plan to extend hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nate Rathben is in the kitchen full-time and has been whipping up recipes left and right.
For Ernyey and Derrick, with all the work that has gone into getting the shop ready for opening, “work” isn’t a word that has really entered the owner’s minds.
“It does not seem like work to me,” Ernyey said. “This was always the dream.”
For more information about blue Danube Gourmet To Go, visit bluedanubegourmet.com ... or simply, stop by for a visit.
