Chris Pollan has been an expert on cheese for years.

It started back in the ’80s and ’90s when he was a tour manager for acts like Pat Benatar and Billy Idol.

But it was a classier brand of fromage that lay in his future. Tomorrow he opens the Cheese Store of Silver Lake, and it’s definitely a step up: more than 300 types of cheese, 100 kinds of wine, and other assorted gourmet items, from fleur de sel to foie gras. What made him leave the rock-and-roll lifestyle behind? A stint working at the renowned Cheese Store of Beverly Hills.

When asked about the hottest trend in cheese (yes, even dairy products have trends), Chris tells us it’s all about the artisanal, small-batch, farm-made domestics. His favorite right now: Humboldt Fog, made from goat’s milk in Humboldt County, right here in sunny California. Serve it up with a nice Basque cheese (he recommends Istara, made from sheep’s milk) and a good Swiss like Le Marechal, he says, and you’ve got a cheese plate that rocks the house.

Coming from a guy who toured with Van Halen, that’s saying a lot.

Cheese Store of Silver Lake, 3926 West Sunset Boulevard at Santa Monica Boulevard (323-644-7511). All-day open house on Saturday, November 23, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.