Our next hometown competitor is head of all things cheese at Dean and Deluca. Dean and Deluca was if you ask me the first artisanal supermarket in New York City, started by Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca in 1977. Stocked full of the things we now have come to love and expect in a supermarket, Dean and Deluca truly was a trailblazing force in the culinary world of late 1970s Soho. Giorgio Deluca started out having founded a cheese shop in the early 1970s so cheese has obviously been an important aspect of the business and having Alex Garcia nowadays at their cheese helm is obvious.
Our window into Alex is through a series of questions but we know its all business here and that Alex surely has the hometown chops to impress! So see below for our question and answer session.
Fromagical: How did you get into the cheesemonger world?
Alex: Had my first job after moving to New York and saw that the cheesemonger was the guy who was talking to allthe pretty girls, so I lied and told the manager of the store that I knew about cheese.
Fromagical What’s your favorite thing about being a cheesemonger?
Alex: The people in the industry are the most sincere and honest of any industry I’ve worked in.
Fromagical: How do you think your establishment has helped you grow as a cheesemonger?
Alex: I’ve grown a lot as a leader.
Fromagical : The contest states that cheesemongers will be tested on a basis of knowledge, care, and preparation.Which do you think is your strong suit?
Alex : Care. I used to be the Director of Affinage at Artisanal Premium Cheese
Fromagical : Stinky, runny, ashy, woodsy,citrusy, or brine-y?
Alex : Yes.
Fromagical : Beer, wine, spirits, or adifferent beverage with your favorite cheese?
Alex: All of the above, yes.
Here's to the hometeam and the head of cheese at the supermarket that changed the way New Yorkers look, consume, and purchase food!
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