The one-year-old Vincenzo Cucina & Lounge in the heart of Little Italy houses the largest number of imported cheese wheels in San Diego. About 100 of the 40-pound wheels dominate a back wall in the spacious, main dining room. More can be found in the restaurant’s “cheese bar,” where the wheels are carved into bowl-shaped vessels for tossing in cooked pasta before it is plated.

Manager Alfredo Piraino said the wheels cost around $1,200 each. They come in three varieties from their designated regions in Italy: Parmesan Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna; Grana Padano from northern provinces; and Pecorino Romano from Lazio and Sardinia.