Mealtime Memories: At the table with Giancarlo Trimarchi
Listening to Giancarlo Trimarchi talk about food will make your mouth water: homey pasta with fresh tomato sauce, sumptuous charcuterie boards, warm sourdough and salted butter. The president of Vince’s Market can even make a simple rotisserie chicken sound like a five-star dish.
“When something is at its absolute best, I want to build a meal around it,” he tells Canadian Grocer.
With a love of fresh, in-season food and a respect for the people who produce it, Trimarchi leads Vince’s Market alongside his father, Carmen, who bought the business in 1986 when it was still a single roadside open-air fruit and vegetable stand. Today, the independent grocer counts four stores north of Toronto, with locations in Sharon, Newmarket, Uxbridge and Tottenham.
In this edition of Mealtime Memories, Trimarchi dishes on leisurely dinners, traditions (from childhood sauce-making days to his family’s new “make-your-own spritz-bar”) and his mom’s best cooking advice.
What was a recent mealtime moment you didn’t want to end?
“Our family was fortunate to travel to Italy this past summer. One evening we found ourselves at a beautiful restaurant in the Chianti region. It turned into one of those rare nights where everything seemed to be ‘the best you’ve ever had.’ The wine was produced by the restaurant itself. The charcuterie board was filled with incredible local cheeses and cured meats. We devoured the pappardelle al cinghiale, and the bistecca fiorentina was everything we hoped it would be. But as memorable as the food was, what really stays with me was the feeling around the table. The conversation was easy, everyone was in a great mood, nobody was in a hurry and we were simply enjoying being together in this beautiful place.”
Is there a meal or food you have fond memories of from childhood?
“I have very fond memories of late August and early September, when family and friends would gather in our garage and driveway for our annual family tomato sauce-making day. It always happened just before school started, so there was this feeling of summer coming to an end and new beginnings around the corner. My father would get all the equipment set up while my mom organized everyone—usually sitting them on milk crates—and prepared the tomatoes for cooking.
“The best part was always how it ended: Everyone sitting down to a big meal of pasta with fresh tomato sauce from that day’s batch, with fresh peas, fried zucchini on top and what felt like a loaf of bread per person!”
How does your work in the industry show up in your approach to food?
“I’m constantly being introduced to great new products, suppliers and ingredients that either get me excited to try something new or reignite my interest in something I haven’t made in a while. Seasonality is probably the biggest influence. When Ontario field-grown beefsteak tomatoes arrive, you can be sure we’re having a caprese salad or a blue cheese and balsamic tomato stack. There are certain foods that are worth waiting all year for, and working in the industry gives me a front-row seat to when those moments arrive.
“But the bigger influence is the appreciation I’ve developed for the people behind the food. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many farmers, producers, entrepreneurs and suppliers to understand the work, passion and sometimes generations of history behind the products we put on our shelves. When you know the story behind a product, you appreciate it differently.”
If you have no time for cooking, is there a premade dish you’re likely to grab from the grocery store?
“This one is easy—a Vince’s rotisserie chicken. Add a Lev Bakery sourdough baguette, a garden salad from our salad bar with a simple white balsamic and extra virgin olive oil dressing and a packet of Swiss Chalet sauce, and dinner is done. It’s simple, comforting and something everyone in our house enjoys.”
What’s your signature hosting move or must-serve dish?
“We’re all about the appetizers. My favourite part of any big celebration is the antipasto buffet, so we tend to recreate that whenever we host: an island full of options, flavours and things for everyone to pick at. There’s always a big charcuterie board with at least three or four varieties each of cheese, cured meats, crackers, nuts and dried fruit. A jar of Vince’s Own Red Pepper Jelly always has a place, along with Triple Crown 16/20 cooked shrimp and Cedarvale Seafood Sauce. We’ll add cut vegetables with hummus or our fresh, made-in-store spinach dip, and there always has to be fresh bread—usually sourdough with Cow’s Salted Butter. Lately, we’ve been pairing all of that with a make-your-own spritz bar, which has become a fun addition when we’re entertaining. Of course, the only problem is that by the time we’re ready to serve the actual meal, everyone is already full. If my father is there, he inevitably delivers the same line when we announce dinner: ‘Dinner? I thought that was dinner!’”
Who or what has most influenced the way that you cook?
“I’ve had many influences on the way I cook, but the original, and still the biggest, would definitely be my mother. If there was ever something I wanted to learn how to make, I would either watch her do it or call her for detailed instructions. And, like most great home cooks, getting an exact measurement out of her wasn’t always easy! Today, inspiration comes from everywhere. Social media has introduced us to so many new recipes and ideas, and my children are constantly sending us things they’ve seen that they want us to try. But, the way I approach cooking was definitely shaped by my mom—cook with good ingredients, don’t overcomplicate things, and make enough that there’s always room for one more person at the table.”
READ: Vince’s Market touts Canadian-made products
Finish this sentence: It’s not a proper gathering without …
"Fresh bread!"
Mealtime Memories is where the industry gets personal. Beyond product launches and quarterly results, Canadian Grocer’s new series invites grocery and CPG leaders to share the stories behind the meals that shaped them—the traditions they keep, the dishes they return to and the moments that matter most around the table. Have a pitch? Email digital editor Jillian Morgan at [email protected].
