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Richard Sutton
Crescent City Cheese Haven
New Orleans' only store devoted to cheese succeeds with intriguing
selections, must-try sandwiches and a commitment to customer service.
BY SUSAN SEGREST
O
n a sunny Saturday morning last spring, customers were milling about St. James Cheese
Company on Prytania Street in New Orleans, choosing which cheeses to take home or dining
on sandwiches and salads on the deck outdoors. Locals from the store's Uptown neighborhood
as well as a few tourists fleeing the crowds of the French Quarter Festival were among those browsing the
vast selection.
Before the busy lunch crowd rolled in, owner Richard Sutton and staff spent some time discussing how he and his wife
Danielle got into the cheese business and how, in just five years, St. James Cheese Company has become the popular Crescent
City food destination it is today, racking up national praise from the likes of Bon Appétit, Food and Wine, Newsweek and others.
A Different Life
Danielle and Richard Sutton launched the store in 2008 with a desire to sell a carefully curated assortment of perfectly ripe cheeses
and charcuterie to both cheese novices and experts. New Orleans was still rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina and many people
advised the couple against returning to the ravaged area, even if it was to open the city's first store devoted to cheese. But the
PHOTOS: SUSAN SEGREST
SEPTEMBER 2013
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