Dish It Up: The only rule is to have fun

June 11, 2018 3:17 PM PT

Rob Graff loves talking about cheese so much that he has dubbed himself the Professor of Cheese, which comes into play with his course through San Diego’s Venissimo Cheese called “Academy of Cheese,” as well as many local events and trips to major cheese destinations such as Vermont and Italy.

As the Professor of Cheese, Graff is all about taking the snobbiness out of cheese not only in his “Academy of Cheese“ course, but at the four Venissimo Cheese shops (founded by Gina and Roger Freize) around San Diego, as well.

With two cheese in hand, Graff stopped by the PACIFIC office studio in downtown San Diego to talk about making his way into the business, getting over his fear of public speaking and the story and human element behind the creamy, hard, stinky, soft, crumbly food.

During episode 8 of Dish It Up, here’s what to look forward to:

Getting into the cheese business
Following his passion
Starting the Academy of Cheese in 2009
Getting over a fear of public speaking, by putting down the papers and just speaking from the heart
The story and human element of cheese
Growing cheese education on traveling tours
Touring the Piedmont region in Italy
The mecca of truffles
Touring Vermont with Venissimo in September 2018
Planting the seed for future events

Dish It Up is a collaboration between PACIFIC and Facebook group Eating and Drinking In San Diego.

Listen and subscribe to Dish It Up and sister podcast Kiss My Glass on Apple iTunes, Google Play and Soundcloud.

Keep up

Mission Hills: 745 W. Washington, 619.491.0708; North Park (inside Bottlecraft): 3007 University Ave., 619.376.1834; Del Mar (at Flower Hill Promenade): 2650 Via de la Valle, 858.847.9616; Liberty Station (at Liberty Public Market): 2820 Historic Decatur Rd., 619.930.9713, venissimo.com

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