Grilled truffle cheese brioche sandwich

Wally’s Wine debuted its adjacent cheese store, Cheese Box, earlier this summer, but I just recently checked it out for the first time. What took so long? I have a love-hate relationship with cheese. Anyhoo, when I stopped by the West LA booze shop for party supplies, I figured I’d try out one of the nine sandwiches they had listed on their menu. Yup, they serve food here in addition to selling rare cheeses.

Speaking of the store’s fare, lunchtime shoppers will be delighted to find a savvy selection of gourmet foods like Vosges chocolates, Platine cookies and Marcona almonds that are $20.99 by the pound. Craziest-fanciest thing I’ve seen there though has to be the Petrossian whole duck foie gras with Armagnac aspic for $112!

OK, back to the sandwiches. I instantly gravitated to sandwich #2: Grilled Truffle Cheese on Brioche. In all my years of obsessing over grilled cheese sandwiches, I never heard of one with truffle cheese before! So decadent and for only $8.

I placed my order and perused the shelves while I waited for them to make it. Its truffle scent immediately filled the small shop, setting off hungry stomach gurgles from the other customers in the store. Groan! I wanted it now, and as soon as I paid for it and they handed it to me I scurried to my car and then tore into it. Nope,

I couldn’t even wait to get it home first. I just didn’t want it to get cold. One should never keep a grilled cheese sandwich waiting.

Peeling away the butcher paper and tin foil was like unwrapping a Christmas gift; I couldn’t open it fast enough. Once I did, I shoved the triangle half into my mouth; amazed by how I was already drooling.

Oh my lord, that first bite was heavenly.  Warm, soft, creamy, rich, savory. Sooo goooood!

But then a strange thing happened. The following bites weren’t as mind-blowing. It was as if my palate got used to the truffle taste. Hmf. And the sandwich as a whole ended up not being all that satisfying. I should have waited til I got home and had it with a small salad, I scolded myself. I was still hungry.

Does that mean, I’d never get that sandwich again? Nope, that is not what that means. In fact, I got the sandwich again today…and then felt the same remorse. For some reason, I can never seem to resist that sandwich long enough to get it home and have it with a salad. Nor, can I bring myself to try one of the other non-truffle cheese sandwiches which contain more ingredients like the smoked ham and aged gruyere or the tuna salad with field greens.

The truffle cheese brioche will definitely be one of those foods that I will crave on a cold day. So comforting. But next time I swear I’ll hold onto it long enough to enjoy it with tomato soup. Mmmm!
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Wally’s Cheese Box
2107 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90025 (map)
Hours: 10am ? 7pm Monday ? Saturday, 10am ? 6pm
Facebook: Wally’s Cheese Box
Twitter: @Wallyswine_