PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I thought I had the coolest job title until I met Anaïs Saint-André Loughran, an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional!

A native of Lyon, France, Loughran was an expert on the subject long before earning the official designation. One of her earliest memories involves covertly eating half a wheel of Tomme de Savoie while on a family road trip through the Alps.

That makes her a certified cheese legend in my book.

She worked as a cheesemonger at Brooklyn’s famed The Greene Grape Provisions before moving to Pittsburgh with her husband, Chris, who was born in Philadelphia, a city known for its cream cheese.

In 2018, the couple opened Chantal’s Cheese Shop in Bloomfield to sell the finest, fresh-cut fromage, craft chocolate, specialty grocery items, gifts and books including Erika Kubick’s “Cheese Sex Death.” (I guess I’ll have to come up with a different title for my autobiography.)

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The Loughrans will be the first to admit it ain’t easy being cheesy, especially in this economy. But, instead of ramping up their social media presence, the couple is backing away from it.

In their last, lengthy post on March 5, the Loughrans said that, despite investing a lot of time and brainpower into various platforms, their small business is still drowning in a sea of corporate content. They want to stay connected to customers in a more personal way rather than relying on algorithms.

So, now, instead of smiling for yet another Instagram reel and saying “Cheese!,” they’re just going to let the cheese do the talking.

I, for one, am all ears.

Sign up for Chantal’s newsletter, which is fun, informative and hunger-inducing, and then head to 4402 Penn Ave. to experience all of it in person. Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m. The neighborhood is dotted with charming mom-and-pop establishments including Linea Verde Green Market, Dad’s Dog & Burger, Apteka, Nothingman and Fet-Fisk, so make a day of it and explore.

There are usually 80 to 120 cheese options in the display case, including Old World classics and local favorites, including offerings from Indiana Township’s Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy.

If your cheese knowledge doesn’t extend beyond a mozzarella stick, don’t fret; the Loughrans are passionate and will pair you with the perfect wedge to fit your budget. Break out of your cheddar-feta-brie comfort zone or give that run-of-the-mill mac a gourmet twist by splurging on a cheese you can’t pronounce!

Chantal’s sells nifty little cheese logs so I can keep a written account of my consumption like a CliffsNotes version of my aforementioned autobiography. Classes are offered several times a week, including a Mother’s Day Cheese Tasting on May 11. Your mom doesn’t want roses, she’s hankering for a hunk of Rockflower Gourmino.

Chantal’s, which is named after Anaïs’ late mother, is sustained by a core group of regulars who stop to shop and chew the fat. The busiest time of the year is always a few days before Christmas when demand for holiday charcuterie boards and grazing tables bumps the company into the black.

Folks, I’m here to tell you that cheese brings joy to the world year-round!

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Anaïs selected a bunch of samples for me to try at home, including Beaufort, a staple of French cheese that’s hard-cooked and made with raw cow’s milk, and a rare sheep’s milk cheese from Wisconsin-based Blakesville Creamery that reminded me so much of cheesecake, I spent the rest of the evening watching “The Golden Girls.”

I must admit that before nibbling on samples like a gluttonous mouse, I ate a Chantal’s grilled cheese sandwich with Gruyère and Rahmtaler, prosciutto and whole-grain mustard on crusty bread.

Pardon my French, but holy $%@* it was delicious!