No self-respecting wine-forward town can be without a decent cheese shop.

Fortunately for Santa Barbara, Kathryn and Michael Graham have us covered with an exceptional downtown cheese shop called, simply, Cheese Shop Santa Barbara.

But it wasn’t always this way. When the couple first moved to town 22 years ago, there was no such thing as a cheese store in Santa Barbara.

More on their history in a moment.

“You can buy inexpensive cheese elsewhere and it’ll be one dimensional,” said Michael, who originally learned the business working at the world famous Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“Because we’re a specialty shop, we work more closely with the importers and cheese makers, so we can source higher quality cheese,” he told Team Let’s Go Eat.

“We look for cheeses that evolve like fine wine, with depth of flavor and a great finish.”

This is a man who is passionate about his cheese.

What intrigued us about the shop at 827 Santa Barbara St. is not only the unique menu of cheeses, but also the array of cured meats, fresh bread, soups and desserts.

The Grahams also stock a range of gourmet items like pastas, nuts, dried fruit, olives and olive oils, vinegar and sauces.

Add to that the wines they carry (“We choose only food-friendly wines,” Kathryn told us.) and this place is a major picnic waiting to happen.

In fact, that’s how they got started. After both being laid off from what Michael called “real jobs,” they visited Santa Barbara in 2001 and decided to head up to the Santa Ynez Valley for some wine tasting.

They went looking for some cheese to bring along, and quickly discovered there was no cheese shop in Santa Barbara.

“That night over dinner,” Michael said, “Kathryn looked at me and said, ‘maybe this is what we should do.’”

So they did, opening their doors as C’est Cheese in 2003. The business was a hit, but the ups and downs of the 2017 Thomas Fire and COVID-19 lockdowns took their toll.

In July 2020, they were forced to close.

However …

“There was a huge outpouring of support from the community,” Kathryn recalled. “Our landlord was also a fan of our shop and, between him and a devoted group of fans, we put together a plan to come back.”

Two months later they were back in business under their new name, Cheese Shop Santa Barbara.

Besides the cheese, among the things inspiring fan devotion are the  house-made products, including their well-known granola.

“You would be shocked at how much granola we make and sell every week,” Kathryn told us, laughing.

“Sometimes I think we should change to a granola shop. We ship bags and bags of it every week all over the U.S. and even Europe.”

They also offer house-made slow cooked tomato sauce, hummus, cookies and chicken liver pâté — a somewhat eclectic collection, which we asked about.

“I find niche products that I think I can make better,” Michael said, grinning. “So I do.”

Their catering business, which Kathryn oversees, is a complement to the shop.

“It allows us to be more creative in our ordering and keep a wider inventory of nicer and more interesting cheeses,” Michael said.

“Plus,” Kathryn added, “Owning a cheese shop means we can do much quicker turnaround than a lot of caterers. Often in only 48 hours.”

Kathryn is also the in-house wine expert, highly proficient in the exquisite art of pairing wines with cheeses.

“The mantra in our industry is ‘what grows together goes together,’” she said.

“For example,” she explained, “Sauvignon Blanc is from the Loire Valley in France. That’s where the best goat’s milk cheeses come from, and they go together really well.”

We asked her to give us a pairing that would wow us.

“Any alpine cheese, like Gruyère or Appenzeller, with a Grüner Veltliner,” she said without hesitation.

“Like green apples and cheese fondue.”

With that image in our heads, we posed a final question: What’s the best thing about owning a cheese shop?

They both agreed: “The most satisfying part of owning this business is the large number of people who tell us every week they’re so thankful we’re here.”

Count us among them.

Locals Only

The house-made products are indeed some of the best things in the shop. Simple labels, zero marketing. #iykyk

Also, try some Stilton cheese with a tawny port. Yum.

When You Go

Cheese Shop Santa Barbara, at 827 Santa Barbara St., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It’s closed Sunday and Monday. Click here for more information.