Field trip: The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

I've always been weird about cheese. I won't eat it on sandwiches or burgers, with two exceptions: Big Boy Hamburgers and Big Macs. I can eat those with cheese not problem. I don't like it on salads and I can't ever bear the odor of mac and cheese. On the other hand, I love cheese on pizza but not as a topping on other Italian foods. Love it in Mexican food. I love goat cheese on crackers but not most other cheeses, and I never eat cheese by itself.

Being in culinary school, the quality of the food we're using is vastly superior to what you find in a grocery store, so I'm a lot more open to trying things I would usually avoid. And that happened today at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. It's an amazing place.

Cheese, cheese and more cheese:

Also oils, an olive bar and wine:

Big old wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano with the official stamp:

We got to try a bunch of different cheeses. My favorite of the day was a locally sourced Burrata served with muffelata, olive oil and balsamic vinegar:

French goat cheese with Italian sun-dried tomatoes:

Sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia, shot through with truffles:

Prosciutto of the Gods:

The beautifully refurbished 1938 "Ferrari red" slicer:

Cheese boards in the $30-$35 range:

Cheese stone, $75:

I'm not sure what this is, but it's $700: