Cheese Shops We Love: Lady & Larder

Editor’s note: Once we saw the drop dead gorgeous stacked cheese cakes on the Lady & Larder Instagram, we had to know more. Thanks to Joshua Lurie for finding so many reasons why this cheese shop is really special.

Location

828 Pico Blvd Suite 2

Santa Monica, CA 90405

 

Saavy Sisters

Twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms opened Lady & Larder in Mar Vista in early 2016. Thanks to their good taste and visual flair, they became an Instagram sensation and business success. They shed their original space like a chrysalis and triumphantly reemerged in Santa Monica this past July.

The Simms sisters grew up in Carmel, a small seaside community in Monterey County. Sarah earned her culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Seattle and worked a series of restaurant jobs, both front and back of house, primarily as a sommelier and chef. Sarah relocated to Los Angeles, became a full-time private chef for 10 years, and founded La Femme Epicure, a catering company that also handled commercial food styling, menu consulting, and events. Boo worked as a creative director for a restaurant group and started a design firm called Wylie West Creative. The sisters produced dinner parties and events and parlayed their collective experience into a Lady & Larder partnership.

 

The Shop

Lady & Larder’s current space is part of a retail strip on Lincoln Boulevard near Santa Monica High School. The space features floral black and white tiled flooring, shelves and refrigerators devoted to everything from colorful candles to flowers, craft beer, seasonal produce, Lo-Fi aperitifs and signature Lady olive & oil and sea salt crackers that are “friends with all your favorite cheeses and dips.” Cheese is central to Lady & Larder’s mission. A three-tiered case resides next to a red pegboard that lists “Cheese Gang Favorites,” aka staff picks. Beyond that, the Simms sisters allow for versatility by utilizing seasonality and creativity.

“We are 100% domestic, so all cheese in our shop is made here in America,” Sarah says. “Aside from that, it needs to be produced with utmost integrity and reflect a true sense of place in its taste profile and overall craftsmanship.”

 

Cheese boards, often including charcuterie and market produce, have become a Lady & Larder calling card. Just look at their exquisite cheese cakes and wreaths to see why. Sarah says, “We love creating things that showcase each season and create opportunities to gather and celebrate with the people you love.”

Sarah and Boo’s eye-catching aesthetic caught on through social media, propelling their Instagram feed to must-view status and helping to grow business. Sarah takes a humble view of their viral posts, saying, “We built Lady & Larder in a very old school way, depending 100% on word of mouth. Instagram was really helpful because it allowed us to share visual images of our boards and tag the makers and farmers, which allowed us to operate in full transparency with our customers. To this day, we still have not spent anything on advertising. We feel that the best marketing comes from our customers sharing their authentic Lady & Larder experience with their friends, family and coworkers.” They often do.

Cheese boards remain in demand. Lady & Larder has a signature style, but the sisters don’t keep their keys to success a secret. “Thoughtful sourcing is #1,” Sarah says. “Next, it’s the golden rule: Always serve your cheese plate at room temperature.”

 

Cheese also plays a key role in sandwiches and salads that appear on a “secret” lunch menu from 12 – 3 p.m. “When L.A. shut down at the start of the pandemic, gatherings halted and we stopped making cheese boards for a bit,” Sarah says. “We developed a lunch menu; it was a secret, off-menu thing and we tested it with regular customers from our neighborhood as we were scrambling to keep our team employed. The response was incredible. We kept it going and in the spirit of our original menu, we also chose to keep it ‘secret.’” Just scan a QR code to reveal the menu. Printouts are also available to peruse, upon request.

“We use delicious cheese on all of our menu items,” Sarah says. “It’s not just basic cheddar, it’s Hook’s 5-year cheddar. It’s not just Swiss cheese; it’s Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve. We source all of our sandwich toppings and salad ingredients at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. The quality of ingredients is the most important criteria.” Sandwiches range from $18-20 and incorporate local Bub & Grandma’s bread, which is also available for sale as whole loaves.

 

I enjoyed Yes, Honey ($19) which combines Hobb’s Turkey, Fra’mani ham, shredded Hook’s 5-year cheddar, Kaylin & Hobbs honey mustard pickle relish, shaved gem lettuce and mayo on sliced, sesame coated Bub & Grandma’s sourdough. Vivid vegetarian sandwiches are also available.

Grab-and-go baguette sandwiches are for sale at the register for $12, including Hot Girl Salami and the Franch Girl, which combines Vermont Creamery butter whipped with Medjool dates, Jacobsen sea salt, shaved Weiser Family Farms radishes, and Red Table Royal ham. Cheese and charcuterie picnic boxes are also travel-ready. The aforementioned boards are geared toward gatherings and holiday gifts. Lady & Larder also curates gift baskets.

 

Top Selling Cheeses

Lady & Larder’s cheese selection changes seasonally, as do top sellers. “Right now in November, we are selling lots of Alpine cheese,” Sarah says. “Crown Finish Cave cheeses are super hot, the most popular ones being Crown Jewel and King’s Ransom. Also, Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Those incredible super melters are very popular in the winter months – gratin season!”

Sarah Simms broke down what she likes about each top-selling cheese.

 

Crown Jewel 

“She really is the jewel of our cheese case. Made by Roelli Haus Cheese and aged at Crown Finish in Brooklyn. The texture is toothsome and sometimes has bits of crystals. Think salty butterscotch toffee, buttered toast, and tropical fruit. Made with raw cow’s milk and always so satisfying.”

 

Pleasant Ridge Reserve Extra Aged

“I get EMOTIONAL talking about this cheese. The texture and crystals alone bring you to your knees. Andy Hatch at Uplands Cheese only releases this cheese once a year in the fall when the wheels have aged out about 15 months. PRR is the most awarded cheese in American history. It is made with grass-fed, raw milk and is the true gold standard for American-made, Alpine-style cheese.”

 

King’s Ransom

“This cow’s milk cheese is a combination of Basque-style washed-rind and creamy Swiss. It’s washed with Vermont Cider. It’s just SO CREAMY. I love the paste of this cheese: soft, textural bliss plus a tangy rind. It is made by Roelli Haus Cheese and aged at Crown Finish Caves in Brooklyn.”

 

More Reasons to Love

Sarah and Boo started Lady & Larder to feed people in the community, but also to nourish customers in other ways. “We would like them to smile and think about all of the makers, farmers and producers that we support,” she says. “When readers shop here, they are supporting so many amazing humans who have dedicated their lives to producing incredible cheese, charcuterie, wine, bread, flowers, etc. It’s our little dream shop!”