Just Open: La Formaggeria micro cheese lab

Katia and Sabrina Cappedocio, the cheesemaking sisters who used to man Il Fornaio and are now at the helm of St Kilda's La Formaggeria deli and cafe, are continuing a 60-year-old family tradition of making artisan cheese in a dedicated micro cheese lab.

Deep tubs of local milk are transformed into lush cheeses like chilli-spiked caciottina, hefty hanging scamorza with whole limes inside and enormous wheels of maturing semi-hard cheese rubbed in Clement coffee grounds or seasoned with shiraz.

Everything is made by hand – it's a true artisanal process, with natural fermentation and no animal rennet or machinery involved. Buffalo milk gets delivered every Friday, which means fresh buffalo mozzarella by Friday evening. Try it warm. It's unforgettable.

La Formaggeria, 72 Acland Street, St Kilda, 9534 1111, laformaggeria.com.au