Make Barbecues Sizzle with
Sauces from Lisa’s Gourmet
By Sondra J. Casey

Lisa Tomlinson enjoys cooking and having friends over.

“Food is something that draws everybody together,” says this owner of Lisa’s Gourmet Cupboard in Mebane.

The outgoing store owner opened her gourmet food shop in the Mebane Oaks Shopping Center after visiting the Biltmore Inn in Asheville and enjoying its dipping sauces.

“I really fell in love with the mustard there,” she says, laughing. She investigated and found out that it was called Raspberry Wasabi Dipping Mustard from Robert Rothschild Farm.

Now she carries the mustard herself in her own store and can’t wait to tell her customers about it. And that’s not all the store carries.

“We have everything to entertain,” she says, “whether it’s a large group or a special dinner for two.”

She even offers “cooking music,” mostly jazz and blues, to dance around the kitchen to and to listen to while you dine.

This native of Duncan, OK, moved here 11 years ago with Alan, her husband, who is vice president of a software company in Research Triangle Park.

She was a real estate broker at the time, but had always wanted to own her own business.

She knew that she loved cooking and entertaining large crowds of people and figured that a lot of other people in the area probably enjoy doing the same thing.

The key to a good meal, she says, is planning.

“You want to do everything you can ahead of time,” she says. That allows you to relax and spend time with the guests once they arrive.

You also want to rest assured that your food tastes good.

“You want food that is good but that doesn’t take you away from your party,” she says.

Her grilling sauces “make food tastes like restaurant food at home,” she says.

One of her favorites is Ginger Wasabi Teriyaki Marinade & Simmer Sauce for chicken. “It is fabulous,” she says.

Another favorite is Mushroom Trio Marinade & Simmer Sauce for roast or pork. “You just put it into a slow cooker and walk away.”

Another meal that is quick and delicious is to combine frozen meatballs with Hawaiian Ponzu Sauce. “Everybody loves meatballs,” she says. “Well, almost everybody. Guys, mostly.”

She also enjoys grilled chicken with Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce. “It takes your basic meat or chicken and just kicks it up,” she says.

Courtney, 16, her daughter, helps her mother in the store and tests new recipes at home.

Lisa says she is having fun with the store. “I want it to be the kind of store where, if I don’t have what you want, I can get it,” she says. “We try to be very customer-oriented.”

The shop carries:

Dipping sauces for bread, including Roasted Garlic Oil, a favorite of Lisa’s.
Ready-made appetizers to serve on bread and top with cheese.
Bruschetta Italian garlic toasts.
Lots of grilling sauces.
Salad dressings, fruit salad dressings and dressings for pasta dishes.
Aunt Lizzie’s Cheese Straws. (“A lot of people put these in bowls to put out at work,” Lisa says.)
Shish kabob skewers and swizzle sticks for fruit.
English scones.
Cocktail and smoothie mixes.
Espresso Blend, Sumatra Gayoland and Mocca Java Blend coffees.
Kona Coffee Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies and Triple Fudge Brownie mixes.
Linens, baskets and cookie jars.
Wines.
Vintage Tuscan serving plates.
And a lot more.

Lisa will help you plan everything from appetizers to desserts.

For information about Lisa’s Gourmet Cupboard, please call Lisa at 919-304-2555. You may not need the area code if dialing from Burlington.