You gotta love a place like Larder and Cupboard that’s built on entrepreneurial chutzpa, offering the “best specialty foods from the St. Louis area, across the country, and around the world.” Cindy Higgerson runs the store that opened last November on Manchester near Penzey and Vom Foss, two of my favorites for kitchen browsing.
I dropped into L&C to replenish my supply of local, raw honey. While waiting, I nibbled on the small cups of free popcorn seasoned with Wine Forest Fennel Salt—a splendid gourmet touch for the ol’ snack favorite. It must have been Popcorn Giveaway Day, because they were doing the same at Costco that afternoon, but it lacked the key flavor ingredient.
Having been raised in a Southern kitchen, I couldn’t pass up Martha’s Pimento Cheese. “Who’s Martha,” I asked the manager, thinking Martha Stewart might be trying to move into Paula Deen’s territory.
Turns out Martha is a small batch producer. Back in 2013 she won 1st prize for her Pimento Cheese and 2nd place for her variety with jalapenos at the American Cheese Society’s competition. The spread, based on Wisconsin cheddar, is a lot heartier than the usual cream cheese mishmash and makes a terrific grilled cheese sandwich.
The noodles and sauce from Pastaria caught my eye, as did the spreadable salami, and the assortment of flavored bottled drinks. My friend, who was with me, got the Bloody Mary kit for her husband. She later sent me a picture of the drink, which apparently was a big hit at her house.
At Larder and Cupboard you’ll find an array of specialty foods, including coffee, cheese, meats, honey, pickles, preserves, and gift baskets. It’s good to know that there are small batch food producers making items from the finest of ingredients and with the highest commitment to quality.
You don’t always see a manager who has tried every item in the store, knows where each was produced and by whom, and deems each worthy of inclusion on her shelves. That’s what makes Larder and Cupboard special.
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