Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace has become a destination for anyone looking for authentic Italian food in the New York area, an old world market where you know the butcher, the deli man and the face behind the counter. We talked with Vincent Olivieri, the chain’s Culinary and Deli Director, a chef who trained in Manhattan and travels tirelessly to Italy, about what makes the marketplace special, how it keeps Italian tradition alive and which products he chooses to put on its shelves.
Uncle Giuseppe’s is much more than a grocery store, it’s an experience. What makes that experience so special for customers?
The marketplace is an experience, and it’s designed that way. It brings in people who want to feel that old world marketplace experience, where you know who the butcher is, who the guy behind the deli counter is, who the person in the cheese department is. We form relationships, from our side to the customers, making them feel like they’re at home and that they can get whatever they’re looking for, customized however they feel comfortable shopping. It’s like walking through the streets of Tuscany, an open market with all the sampling and the open displays we have. We give you the feeling that this is a place to enjoy yourself, not just to come and shop.
Before we go further, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up at Uncle Giuseppe’s?
I started cooking because my mother couldn’t. I got the majority of my experience working in a regional marketplace, and I was a director of culinary for a very large Manhattan operation. After fourteen years working in Manhattan, I came to Uncle Giuseppe’s as a research and development chef. Now I run all of culinary and all of deli. I have a strong passion for food, for people, and for feeding people good food. I handle all the recipes, all the development, all the innovation, all the merchandising for the prepared foods. It’s a great relationship, I’m a part of the family, and I’m hoping to keep building success around the brand.
How do you balance authentic Italian tradition with the tastes of today’s customers?
The majority of our customers are Italian American, so they’re inclined to shop our Italian American classics, the chicken parm, the eggplant parm, the meatballs. But hidden not so far out of sight are all the authentic Italian items. I’m standing in front of my Sita Cheese display right now, and I told Alessandro, the owner of the company, that I wanted to replicate everything I see in Italy when I go to a salumeria. It took him a couple of years, but he achieved it. We have hanging salami, imported prosciutto, items that come specifically out of Parma. We have real guanciale, real spianata, real speck. Real things you’d see in a salumeria in Italy, and I brought them here to the US with the help of my friend Alessandro from Sita.
As Culinary and Deli Director, what inspires you when you create new recipes or select the products that end up at your counter?
I travel a lot, and I feel that my purpose on Earth is to share the gift that I have, which is creating good food. A lot of the inspiration for the food I create comes from Italy, from the many times I’ve been there. I’ve taken classes in different regions, from all the way north to all the way south. I find it special to introduce items that most Americans aren’t accustomed to, to display them and get people to try them, so they can have a taste of my journeys through Italy.
Your cheese department features products from many different producers. What earns a product a place at your counter?
I’m not the one most involved in the cheese department, that’s Franklin Fernandez, and we’re good friends. He shares the same traits I do: he’s always looking for top of the line, exclusive items from Europe, and he brings them in limited runs and limited time offers, with cheese from all around the world.
And when it comes to Italian excellence, what comes to mind?
I love the fior di latte. It’s something you can’t find anywhere. When Alessandro Sita introduced it to me, I said we have to have it. We brought it in and merchandised it in our pizza area, next to the pizza making kits and the dough. I buy it and bring it home myself every time I do a pizza event in my backyard. It’s just top quality cheese. And his salumi is fantastic. Who would have ever thought to wrap salumi with parmigiano reggiano around the outside? It’s exquisite and unique. Like the fior di latte, it’s the kind of thing you can’t find at regular retailers. Alessandro has been a great partner, and we love to feature the beautiful things he’s bringing over from Italy.
Customers today want to know where their food comes from and who makes it. What does the story behind a producer add to the experience for the people shopping at your counter?
Talking again about Alessandro, who is a good friend of mine, any time we’re featuring items from Sita there’s a lot of storytelling involved, because I deal directly with him. Talking about where things come from is very easy when you work with someone like Alessandro. He always makes himself available, and he’s transparent, open and honest about where he sources from. I trust him very much. I deal with a lot of brokers I can’t say I believe in, but if I’m looking for something, I reach out to Alessandro. He finds it, brings it in, and we have a great relationship.
