A community cornerstone: opening St. Matthews cafe is dream come true for father, daughter duo

The daughter behind the counter doesn’t remember learning how to cook.

It’s implied, when she says this, that she had a good teacher.

Her dad.

Both can be seen bopping around the bright and bustling room of Elderberry Provisions as the new cafe and deli in St. Matthews nears its busy lunch hour.

Elderberry Provisions opened in April, after years of talks between Tim Dulac and his daughter, Brittany Dulac, about wanting to turn their love of family and food into something. They also wanted to blend their experiences in professional kitchens and corporate jobs.

So Brittany took a leap of faith and moved to Louisville from Los Angeles to open this space with her father.

“It seemed like an amazing way to swing and make the dream true, you know?” she told the Courier Journal.

In this small room on a recent day, customers, who already could be considered regulars, were perusing the case of items sold by the pound. The pretty plates behind the glass include grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, roasted salmon, roasted broccoli, and an orzo salad Tim has been making since 1998.

There are daily specials and usually a short rib lasagna, but on this day, that popular item had already sold out.

There are specialty crackers, bottles of olive oil and asparagus pickles, tins of sardines, and New York kettle chips. For those in the know, each offers a subtle nod to the family’s origins. Tim grew up in Maine. Brittany grew up in Pennsylvania. They've both spent time in other places.

A chalkboard menu shows sandwiches, made-to-order, with another nod to family. “The Mary," named after Brittay's grandmother and Tim's mom, is made with salami, capicola, provolone cheese, and tomatoes on sourdough bread.

“That’s the sandwich she made me when I would arrive at her home,” Brittany said. “And after my grandmother passed away, my dad started this dream he’s had for so long.”

The name of the business — Elderberry Provisions — also has a family connect and comes from the street where her grandparents lived.

In the fridge by a front window filled with flowers are containers of pimento cheese and Benedictine spread. The Dulac duo hopes to do good with Kentucky items, too.

“We try to honor where we’ve come from, but we also want to be a cornerstone of the local environment and the community,” she said. “It’s kind of like a hybrid of all the places we’ve been and where we are now.”

In the few months since they’ve opened, the co-owners have tried to do well by their predecessors.

The Cheddar Box sat in this spot, 3909 Chenoweth Square, for 47 years before closing the location. Two others —The Cheddar Box Cafe Middletown and The Cheddar Box Too ― are still open.

“She had a very loyal clientele,” Tim said. “We’re continuing with that.”

They both recall a recent visit from a customer who spoke of The Cheddar Box. The patron wanted to pass this along of previous owner Nancy Tarrant: “She fed my family and that was really special to us.”

“That really resonated with me,” Brittany said. “I want to feed people in that way. I don’t need to be the fanciest place in town. I want to be a critical part of people’s lives.”

Whether in the form of a chocolate chip cookie or a chicken sandwich, this place is about the many forms of family.

Elderberry Provisions is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

We featured Elderberry Provisions in our weekly video series, "Best Thing I Ate This Week." You can follow along by visiting Instagram.com/courierjournal.

Reach food reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Elderberry Provisions cafe a dream come true for father daughter duo