Lara Hardwick never thought to start her own retail gourmet cheese stop, but after working in sales for a national specialty food distributor for three years, she was inspired by that company’s veteran cheese connoisseur to learn all that she could about that nearly perfect food product.

    She left that company in 2005 to start her Fromage a Trois Fine Foods business, representing small artisan food producers (small cheesemakers, farmers, ranchers, etc.) and helping to bring these fabulous products to local chefs.

 

It was those same chefs who inspired Hardwick’s next move: a retail cheese shop. “I found that many small producers and cheese makers were not being represented here (southwest) in the food service or retail industry,” she explains.

    A little serendipity brought her into contact with Barbara Cook and Tudie Frank-Johnson, owners of D’Licious Dishes at 7th and Missouri avenues. The partners in the gourmet take-away meal shop asked Hardwick to design a cheese department for D’licioius Dishes.

    “We instantly loved each other and got to talking and decided that it should be a full-fledged cheese and charcuterie shop,” Hardwick recalls. “So my office is now located there and I will be working both jobs in tandem.”

    Petite Fromage, tentatively set to open on Aug. 1, will feature artisan and farmstead cheeses along with a very impressive offering of charcuterie: paleta serrano, Iberico ham, pates, artisan salamis, and a handful of other culinary delights.

    “As I do with my chefs, anyone can order hard-to-find culinary ingredients and I will bring them in a special order,” Hardwick says. She also plans to host tastings and classes. D’licious Dishes has applied for a Series 10 liquor license to sell fines wines and beer, which have to be consumed off premises. But Hardwick will be happy to tell you which cheeses, pates or antipasto platters would best pair with your wine selection.

    The Grand Opening will take place 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, and will include tastings and special pricing for that day. For more information, call 602-363-1433.