Staff Spotlight: Chris
If you’re a long time AllSpice patron, you’ll likely recognize Chris. He’s one of our longest-tenured employees, and he’s responsible for getting almost everything we sell in the jars and bags you find on the shelves.
When our packaging operations moved from our tiny back room in the East Village to our shiny new Production Facility in Valley Junction, Chris made the move too. While he’s not downtown every day, we keep him close… he’s a knowledgeable foodie and a trained chef, and we tap into him frequently for cooking advice.
Read on for highlights from our conversation with Chris and get to know him better.
What's your favorite food?
"There's no way I could pick just one," Chris said. But he did go on to share with us an extremely specific (and somewhat eclectic) request for his last meal. And spoiler alert...it's not a Tombstone pizza.
“I'd request pan-seared scallops, a beef tenderloin cooked medium-rare – butter basted with a perfect crust, roasted Brussels sprouts, duck confit, mackerel sashimi, dauphinois potatoes, dill pickle potato chips, and a California Petite Sirah to wash it all down,” he says.
What do you like to cook?
"I grew up watching Julia Child, so classical French cuisine will always hold a special place in my heart," says Chris. However, he's developed quite a talent for creating delicious, traditional Korean dishes, which is what you'll find him making most evenings.
Want to try your hand at making traditional Korean cuisine? Chris recommend finding inspiration on one of his favorite YouTube channels – Maangchi!
What do you do when you're not at the shop?
We learned that Chris has an impressive collection of houseplants which grew exponentially during the pandemic.
When he’s not watering or caring for his collection of over 200 plants, you’ll find him tackling home improvement projects. He and his husband Sean purchased a new home this spring and he’s got a sizable honey-do list.
What do you like most about working at AllSpice?
“I appreciate our small-business atmosphere,” says Chris. “We’re like a little family who truly care about one another and our customers. It doesn’t feel like work – it’s more like coming to a second home.”
What's something most people don't know about you?
We can answer this one without even asking him! Chris has the worst. memory. ever.
He completely forgets entire movies he's watched and books he's read. "I have to reference recipes for dishes I make every week," he says. But what's really strange is how selective-in-nature his bad memory is.
Looking for that gravy separator that's not been seen for five or six years? "It's in the third box up from the floor in the guest bedroom closet."
If you run into Chris out and about or see him driving around town in the AllSpice van say hi or give him a farmer wave!