The Book Larder, a Food-Lover’s Destination, Open Now in Fremont

The Book Larder, a new cookbook store and events space (and the only store between San Francisco and Vancouver, BC to sell cookbooks exclusively), opened this week to much fanfare.

My friend, Lara Hamilton, is the owner, and her eye for quirky, useful, esoteric and lesser-known cookbooks is impeccable: I spotted a copy of Ruth Reichl’s out-of-print cookbook Mmmmmmm: A Feastiary alongside a charming copy of Fannie Farmer for Juniors (the first chapter of which is titled Eating For Energy and Good Looks). Across the shop sits Nigel Slater’s latest alongside Penguin’s reissued cookbooks from as far back as the early 1700s (you’ve really got to see the gorgeous covers of these books in person). There’s a full kitchen in the back of the space, walls painted the most sensational Caribbean turquoise, and a happy spirit about the place, which will serve as both a bookstore and as an events space for touring authors.

Of course, many know Hamilton through her work with Kim Ricketts; Lara was in the midst of buying Kim Ricketts Book Events when Kim passed away last spring, and so The Book Larder is also the new home of Book Events. It’s a dream realized both for Lara and for the dearly departed Kim.

And so, when to make a visit? This month is packed absolutely solid with local and national cookbook authors (see the full event listings here), including events this week by Becky Selengut (Good Fish, Thursday Oct. 13th), Cakespy’s Jesse Oleson (Sweet Treats for a Sugar Filled Life, Friday Oct. 14th) and Jess Thomson (Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts, Saturday Oct. 15th).

More upcoming authors I hope to be able to see:  

The New York Times‘ Melissa Clark, promoting Cook This Now October 20th (it’s a potluck!), Mary Karlin, author of Artisan Cheesemaking at Home, who’ll demonstrate cheesemaking October 27th, and Christina Tosi, author of Momofuku Milk Bar, who’ll be visiting November 1st. And bonus: local pastry wiz Neil Robertson will cook up tastes from the book.

Store hours are Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun., 12 p.m.-4 p.m.; book events are generally in the evening. See you there!

The Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave. N, 206.397.4271, booklarder.com