Calling All Caseophiles!

If you love cheese, a pilgrimage to North Berkeley's Cheeseboard Collective is a must.

So, naturally, that was our first stop for Pia's Birthday Tasting Tour of Berkeley. Our objective: pick up a snack to take with us to the Rose Garden. Sounds simple enough.

Still, even the blackboard, with its meticulously maintained list, is daunting in its length. Then there are the cases and cases of cheese where the only thing stopping me from whispering, "I'll take a little of everything," was my wallet.

It's a cheese-lover's dream realized. Gorgeous rounds and wedges. Pungent to floral. Draped in cabbage or wrapped in straw. Bliss!

We finally elected to purchase a round of Camilla - had to! - and some Wolverine rolls.

Camilla, a young goat's-milk disk cheese by Italian cheesemaker Caseificio Reale, has just a little cow's cream added to give it lushness.

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