ALL ABOUT FOOD: Eating and breathing a business

What would a financial consultant and an organizational psychologist, who both love good food and eating well, choose for their next business venture? Would it be a gourmet shop that has gone out of business twice in the past three years? Why not? It’s the perfect challenge for a couple with their particular skills.

This dynamic duo, Sal and Shae Vargas, recently took ownership of The Laguna Food Gallery on the corner of Forest and Third. They bring with them exuberant energy and oodles of optimism combined with business expertise and experience. Sal was a financial advisor, particularly to large dental practices. Shae is a published psychologist who has evaluated systems, floor plans and corporate culture in order to help businesses achieve peak performance levels.

These are not their only talents. Sal has worked as a manager and buyer for retail stores and surprisingly, he sews “” a skill he learned from his mom as a small boy. Shae, whose mother is an artist, makes jewelry and has sold it in Laguna for the past six years at boutiques around town. So, it is not completely off the wall that this enterprising couple owns two successful tuxedo and bridal rental shops in the Temecula area where they live.

As busy as they are, they still have enough entrepreneurial zeal to be open to a new adventure when it arises, as it did when Sal’s cousin, who is the manager of “230” restaurant, told them the Food Gallery was for sale. Longtime lovers of Laguna and of gourmet food, this seemed like a perfect fit for their next venture.

Shae has an interesting history with food. When she was a young teenager, her mother decided the family should become vegans, and not just vegans but raw ones “” waaay ahead of her time! Shae endured this diet for eight years and now she eats everything but it made her very health-conscious and it is this consciousness that she is bringing to the concept of the Gallery.

In addition to the many wonderful gourmet foods they are carrying, they also feature many salt-free, sugar-free, low-fat and organic delicacies.

They have a line of low-sugar jams (nine grams per tablespoons) from Israel. There are gourmet fat-free salad dressings and Aunt Gussie’s spelt cookies with no sugar, just to mention a few other items.

We couldn’t help but ask what they felt they could do differently to make the business succeed.

“First and foremost,” Shae said, “as we have no children, we eat and breathe our businesses, often working 12 to 13 hours a day. Our businesses are our children.”

They plan to be open six days a week; from 11-7 Tuesday through Friday and 11-5 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Sal’s years of retail experience taught him that if you can eliminate the middleman, you can save money and they are committed to passing on some of these savings to their customers. They have spent a lot of time and energy on direct sourcing, developing relationships with all of their suppliers. In the food business this is not just hard work, as it involves extensive tastings of every product in order to decide what items to carry. Shae says they have sampled everything in the store.

Shae is extraordinarily personable, filled with enthusiasm, eager to make suggestions and recommendations, and to just talk “food.”

She will also help you put together a lovely gift basket. The store is filled with baskets that you may use to make your selections to take home, give as a gift or have delivered. If you are in a hurry or can’t make up your mind, there are pre-made basket choices.

Tempting your palate are delicious finds such as Bodega chocolates, “the chocolate of the stars,” appearing in gift baskets at the Country Music and Academy Awards. Chocolate lovers will also find a variety of Schokinage dark hot cocoa powders that contain 79% chocolate.

A wonderful line of tapenades by Olivier from Napa includes a unique combination of artichoke, Parmesan cheese and chardonnay.

For barbecuing, they have a selection of rubs for ribs, poultry, salmon, cowboy steak and carne or pollo asada. Then, they have barbecue sauces from Legend: tangy mango thyme for chicken, papaya ginger for seafood and chipotle for beef.

Gourmet olive oils come from Los Olivos and Napa but the piece de resistance is a fabulous, buttery smooth oil called Tiburtini. This very special oil is made by two L.A. architects who own an olive orchard in Italy. We know it is fabulous because we tasted it, along with several others that were also very nice. You can taste them as well.

Of course, they have wine and wine paraphernalia with an emphasis on bottles from Argentina and Northern California. Gourmet beers come from England and Belgium while the champagne comes from France.

A picnic can be assembled from their selection of pre-packaged meats and cheeses and if you’re in the money, you can buy a gorgeous picnic basket, resembling a small retro suitcase with leather straps, fully fitted out with cutlery, linen and dinnerware. A wine opener and wine glasses complete the set.

In addition to food, there is furniture from India, pottery from Italy and other gift items including a charming little chocolate fondue set, complete with fondue pot, burner, skewers, cookie dish, fruit dish and a jar of chocolate. Separately, you can purchase additional jars of dark chocolate, blackberry and apple butterscotch.

Stop by and discover for yourself all the other items they carry and meet this charming couple.

ELLE HARROW and TERRY MARKOWITZ owned A La Carte for 20 years. They can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].