Food gifts from Italy
I've been a friend of John Blount for many years, and have been called in from time to time to help him with his company's web site. Over the years, I've realized he's doing something very unique. He's an importer of fine foods and ceramics from Italy, with both wholesale and retail operations.
Disclaimer: please excuse the gushing! I'm slightly connected with them, but mostly I'm in awe of what they do. It's an old-fashioned business that treats its customers very well and strives to do everything right.
So why is this site so special? Passion! There are many companies importing Italian products, but John has a unique perspective; he grew up in Rome, the son of an Italian mother and American father. He understands both cultures, and has found products that appeal to everyone. He has the true Italian love of slow cooking with fresh ingredients, and a great respect for their culinary traditions. He has a knack to find only the very best and most unique products. Doing business with Italian companies is not always easy, and by the time you go through shipping and customs, there isn't a lot of room for profit with the more generic items. So John has gone after only the very finest. Yeah, this sounds like a sales pitch, but it's really true. He has a food lovers passion, and refuses to compromise.
What I like most is how he embraces the older, more traditional artisan producers. Some are using equipment hundreds of years old, and still use the older methods. Italy encourages artisans, and also have a strict certification program for organics. I am particulary fascinated with their pastas, - so different from the usual grocery store brands we get here, full of flavor and texture. There are pastas in unique colors and shapes, as well as remarkable sauces and condiments.
They also import beautiful artisan ceramics; plates, bowls, decorative pieces - and the incredible Murano glass items. These make beautiful gifts, even for the most difficult to please.
John makes a few buying trips to Italy every year, and has started making movies when he visits the artisan producers. I find them fascinating glimpses into a past world where tradition and quality are paramount. His wife and partner Victoria has an artist's eye for fine ceramics and has a knack for discovering traditional artisans in some very remote villages, and is always finding items worthy of the finest decorators.
One last thing - if you haven't tried artisan basalmic vinegar, you're in for a very pleasant surprise. It's pretty overhyped in this country, but the mainstream brands bear little resemblance to the real thing. John turned me on to using it as a dessert sauce! Sounds a little strange, but it is amazingly good over things like fresh pears. And don't get me started on the sweets; they are unlike anything I've experienced.
They do all this from a 1920s-era warehouse in South San Francisco, near the airport. It always amazes me how much interesting goods they have. Besides the difficulties of doing business internationally, there's the hassles of customs and the agriculture inspections, the falling exchange rate of the dollar, and the problems of dealing with artisans who have a small production output that is often hampered by seasonal conditions. Not to mention that Italian businesses sometimes take long periods off and can't be rushed. I wonder how they do it all!
I'm glad they are able to combine their sharp eye for quality and unique products with their experience of dealing with often difficult business conditions. Please support them; I'm sure you'll be more than delighted with their products.
