Above: chefs shop at the Cheese Store in Beverly Hills, arguably the top fromagerie in Los Angeles.
Last night found David Schachter and me at his place up Coldwater Canyon, drinking label-damaged 1996 Giacosa Barbaresco (David’s contribution) and munching charcuterie and cheese from the Cheese Store in Beverly Hills (I stopped in the flats on my way up).
Above: life’s too short not to drink well.
The Giacosa was a little cloudy and had begun to sherryize slightly (possibly because damaged?). This wine should have had many, many years ahead of it. But even in the twilight of its life, this powerful Barbaresco from one of the greatest and most classic vintages in recent memory showed admirably well.
I really liked the aged taleggio from the Cheese Shop but I was a little disappointed to find that the prosciutto and bresaola was a bit dry and not sliced as well as it could have been. But who’s complaining?
In other news…
Legendary Italian winemaker Giacomo Tachis weighs in on the appellation system debate. Read more here.
*****
This old town is filled with sin
It’ll swallow you in
If you’ve got some money to burn
Take it home right away
You’ve got three years to pay
And Satan is waiting his turn
The scientists say it’ll all wash away
But we don’t believe anymore
‘Cause we’ve got our recruits
In their green mohair suits
So please show your I.D. at the door
This old earthquake’s gonna
leave me in the poorhouse
It seems like this whole town’s insane
On the thirty-first floor your gold-plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain
— “Sin City,” Flying Burrito Brothers
Do Bianchi 
I used to work up the street at Farm of Beverly Hills, back when it was called Jackson’s Farm. Around 1996, a couple of years after college graduation. In the back of the house during my tenure were: Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, Josiah Citrin of Melisse, and Rafael Lunetta of JiRaffe. I sometimes wandered into the Cheese Store, but only with a heavy jacket.
I like that cheese shop in Silverlake on Sunset, next to Intelligentsia.
I love that cheese shop! I always make a point to stop in when we are out that way visiting my inlaws.
thanks for sin city, jeremy. haven’t listened to gram, burritos, subs, or byrds in a good long while. after i’m done hooplin’ (as in mott), I’m going to put ’em on!
Beth, I’m so sorry: I don’t know why your comments always end up in the spam folder. I just found this today. I’m glad you’re liking the Gram! Happy new year to you!
Yet another great musical reference, DB! Ah, taleggio, orgoglio di Bergamo! Prosciutto sliced right is just as hard to find as a decent espresso or true pizza. It’s all about the individual.
cutting correctly is just as important as the quality level of the prosciutto, why would this not be done well in such a specialty shop?