Time to take the blinders off and break through the fences put up so long ago….

Remove all armor, don’t run and hide…

Reach to new heights that nourish and allow growth…

Let out a victory yell and let them know you have arrived…

And prepare to take flight. It’s okay, you’re never alone….

You are glorious!

So from here on in I think I will refer to this place as The Cheese Sanctuary, or maybe Cheese Heaven. Not that Artisan Cheese Gallery is not a wonderful name, but I believe I might be a bit more accurate in my description on this one.

What fun we had at this splendid family run establishment. One of the owners, Fred, explained to us that cheese was alive and ever evolving. You could taste it one day and then come back in a couple of days and the flavor could be that of a completely different cheese. After telling him we wished to sample a few to make our choices for purchase, he made it clear that he would sell no cheese to anyone unless they first agreed to taste it. We greatly appreciated that rule and intended on whole-heartedly adhering to it, and subsequently enjoyed a wonderous journey through their enticing land of fromage!

He first started us out with several soft cheeses of the Chevre and Brie varieties. Oh…sooo good!
Goat cheese is one of my favorites and he came out with something called Leonora which was exceptional. The Brie we decided on was a traditional French one even though he had also introduced us to some intensely flavorful pics from Switzerland. Then Fred was called away somewhere, and the very knowledgeable and friendly Alex stepped in to take his place. Apparently Alex is the buyer for the store, and he certainly knows his product. We received the most interesting descriptions and explanations of how each wheel was crafted, and little slices of information like how the beautiful orange color on the outside of one particular cheese round was formulated from a certain bug that bore its way through the surface to savor all the mold that was forming on the top of the cheese, leaving the essence of the cheese itself entirely alone, but providing a very beautiful and ornate texture on the outside from the process. He also told us how cheese is described and used phrases like “barn yardy” which of course none of us had ever heard before. He informed us on the rinds you could eat that were made of dried milk or other organic substances such as coffee grounds, and showed us other rinds you wouldn’t eat that were made of wax, or were just not great for eating.

We went from soft cheeses to some harder Italian selections and unanimously decided on a dense, very nicely textured Pecorino Toscano made from sheeps milk. Then we moved to the Swiss cheeses, where it was explained that “Swiss” was in reference to where the cheese was made and not to the holes it contained. An Appenezeller raw cow from Rolf Beeler was the choice there. Then a very strong and crystally raw cow Gruyere, which was the perfect representation of another all time favorite. Then ending up with the blues, ranging from mild and lovely to very strong and pungent. Decided on a  delightful middle of the road Blu de Basque sheeps milk, and lastly dripping decadently with a very expensive dollop of honey was our final sampling of blue – apparently this is a very popular dessert somewhere (can’t remember if he said France or Switzerland) but it was a delicious new twist for us, and even the kids seemed to enjoy the strong taste of blue presented that way. Wow, what an extravaganza and how deeply satisfying it all was!

Alex wrapped our choices up as he explained the proper way to store cheese, and then one of the other owners, a very pleasant woman who I believe was named Melody, checked us out and happily gave the kids a couple of Artisan Cheese Gallery stickers to place on their skate boards per their request.

We chose to take out our cheese, but they had quite a nice cafe menu accompanied by an intriguing wine list and an array of other fine cheese accoutrements, and the place was packed with happy faces eating really amazing cheese. This is the stuff that sweet dreams are made of, at least in my head anyways!

Check them out here on their website, and take a virtual tour here, to see their gorgeous shop!

DON”T YOU JUST LOVE THEM?
Their picture makes me as thrilled and happy to look at as when they all suddenly hoofed quite hurriedly over to say hello – it was a very moving welcome indeed!

Had an awe inspiring, and engaging experience at the L.A. Zoo the other day – a great time to go now that many of the kids are back to school, so it wasn’t crowded at all. But that is precisely why you MUST make plans to go soon – the animals need our support! Over 11oo animal friends from all around the world call this park home. There is very special care taken with each of them and they live in some pretty elaborate digs, so it is obviously very costly to run – the hippo alone eats 90 pounds of lettuce a day, can you believe it? Some very unique and rare species live there, and some of them have some extra special needs.

At only $12 for adults, $9 for seniors, $7 for kids 2-12 and free for the under two set, you receive a whole day of educative entertainment as you enjoy walking (or tramming) around the vast expanse of land that seems to be so lovingly cared for, and taking in all the gorgeous sites, scents and sounds of your favorites in the animal kingdom. It will give you the opportunity to tap into your inner Dr. Doolittle, as well as get some fabulous candids just like the ones above. All while assisting the zoo in maintaining their high standards so these animals can continue to thrive. (Another win/win!)

I wish we could have stayed longer to just be with them, watch and listen – this particular mission was for more of a human social visit and it was a fun way to spend time with one another – next time though maybe we will spend a bit more time visiting and taking pleasure in the fine company of the parks inhabitants. Just sit, observe, listen or talk with them- they seemed to enjoy the company.

So wake your kids up early Saturday and head on over to the L.A. Zoo for a fascinating fun-filled frolic filled with fur, fins and feathers!