Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s soft. Sometimes it oozes. Sometimes it stinks.

Ah, the joy of cheese.

Get the best of the stuff at Spuntino di Ottimista in Cow Hollow. Italian for “little snack,” Union Street’s new cheese and gourmet snack shop is an offshoot of the original Ottimista Enoteca-Cafe down the street.

Owner Melissa Gisler brings her dairy farm roots to the rustic decor and expansive cheese case featuring 40-50 domestic and imported cheeses cut to order.

Try a hot panini, flatbread pizza, or freshly made salad for lunch. Or order up cheese trays (bring your own platter or borrow one of theirs) packed with olives, caponata, and grissini for your next party.

They’re a cream come true.

Spuntino di Ottimista, 1957 Union Street, between Buchanan and Laguna Streets (415-931-6410 or spuntinosf.com).