Kimmys Cucina opens store inside historic Lexington grain mill

LEXINGTON — Kim and Roger Sterry’s store is a reflection of all the things they love.

The shelves are stocked with items for entertaining and making home-cooked meals. The walls are decorated with photos of their grandchildren rolling out dough in the family kitchen.

Kimmy’s Cucina opened its storefront on Nov. 18 inside an old grain mill at 65 Mill Street in Lexington.

The shop is stocked with an eclectic mix of gifts, kitchen tools, home decor and gourmet dry goods ranging from spices, seasonings, honey and maple syrup to organic Italian pasta and olive oil.

“We are picking things that you cannot get around here or aren’t easily available,” Roger said. “We want to do the things that are unique. We want it to be kind of a destination.”

The entrepreneurial couple has always loved to cook and entertain. In the early 2000s, they owned and operated Sweet Basil, an Italian eatery in downtown Mansfield.

They eventually closed Sweet Basil to focus on other pursuits, but returned to the area’s culinary scene earlier this year with a different business model — a premade meal service specializing in Italian cuisine.

Kimmy’s Cucina launched its prepared meal business in January with its signature lasagna, meatballs and homemade sauces, then expanded to add items like sweet basil lasagna and a semolina ricotta pound cake this summer.

Items are made fresh once a month, then available for pick-up during a certain period of time. The meals are sold frozen, made ready to pop in the oven and eat.

“We make everything by hand, even our pasta,” Roger said. “We’re very particular in everything that we do. We reject more products that come in than we accept.”

At first, the couple imagined that the mill would serve solely as the distribution hub for their meal operation. But the idea evolved after a tenant who was leasing part of the building as office space left.

“It’s been empty, so that was the reason for us to say ‘Hey, we’ve got this empty space. What do we do with it?” Kim said.

Many items in the store are sourced from artisans and makers across New England, handpicked by the Sterrys as they traveled across the region. Others are imported directly from Italy.

“Our cherry tomatoes are my favorite,” Kim said, pointing to a can of yellow cherry tomatoes straight from Italy.

“You make a sauce with those, they’re fantastic. They’re so sweet, they just taste amazing.”

There are also a few local products on the shelves, though the Sterrys hope to add more in the future.

“I’m always on the hunt for local products,” Kim said.

The store has already partnered with Mansfield husband and wife duo John “JJ” and Vanessa Bell, the makers behind Create, Restore & More, to sell home decor signs in the shop.

“Kim actually found us through the Prairie Peddler, my husband and I always have a booth there,” Vanessa said. “Her daughter purchased a sign from us and Kim knew they’d be a hit at her new store. That’s when she asked us to make a few for her to sell.”

“We think it’s wonderful small businesses are focused on helping one another succeed,” she added. “We are wishing Kim great success and hope to work with her more in the future.”

Both Roger and Kim grew up in Italian families. The spices, pastas and flours in the store are the same they use in authentic dishes they sell.

There are even some Sterry family recipe cards lying around the store for patrons to take home.

“We went back and forth about that. I said, ‘Why not share them?’” Kim said. “People either want to make it for themselves or they’ll let us make it for them.”

“There’s some recipes we don’t share, but for the most part we’re happy to share.”

The Sterrys are in the process of preparing their own homemade sauces and pastas for sale in the store. They have also applied for a wine license, which would allow them to sell wine and have tastings.

They will also continue to hold cooking classes inside the mill and on the patio out back, which overlooks the B&O Bike Trail.

Kimmy’s Cucina meals, which are sold frozen ready to heat and eat, are available for purchase online.

The store is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Starting Dec. 1, the store will be open Wednesdays from noon to 5 p.m. Customers who stop by Thursdays in the afternoon or evening can enjoy a glass of wine while they shop.

For updates on Kimmy’s Cucina, follow the business’ Facebook page.