Fortune Favors the Bold: New Yorker Dominick Di Bartolomeo once worked in a PR firm but despised his job. He sought a place to immerse himself in the food business and found it at Los Angeles' premier cheese shop, which he now owns and has expanded on Santa Monica Boulevard.
The story
For those who appreciate quality cheese in Los Angeles, there's a go-to destination: The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. It's been an essential landmark since its establishment in 1967 by Colonel Sigmund Roth. In 1978, it was purchased by Norbert Wabnig, and more recently by one of its long-time employees, Dominick Di Bartolomeo. He duplicated its success with a luxurious new branch on South Santa Monica Boulevard. Among his clients are a range of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Massimo Bottura and Mattia Agazzi's local Gucci Osteria.
"Growing up in an Italian-American family, food is always at the center of everything we do. I got to know the store in 2001 through a friend working nearby. I was employed in a PR firm and hated it. I was searching for a place that would give me the opportunity to learn more about the food business," Di Bartolomeo tells guidemichelin.com. His passion immediately drove him to discover new excellences and introduce other products to the market, such as fresh pasta under the Domenico's Food brand. The freshest mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano from red cows remain essentials, but he constantly offers chefs new sensory experiences.
"I knew Massimo Bottura was opening, but I had no connections," Di Bartolomeo continues. A chance order of Riserva San Massimo rice, also used at Osteria Francescana, opened doors for him, connecting him with the resident chef. "He and Norbert are like fathers to me. I enter, and Dominick says, 'Chef, you have to try this oil,' while Norbert prepares a sandwich with prosciutto and cheese in a baguette," tells Agazzi, now a gastronomy regular.
