Page 15 - Valley Table - Summer 2022
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SAY CHEESE!
The owners of Simard & Co.—along with their 5-year- old son Michael—spill their charcuterie recs.
You can only bring one cheese to a deserted island. What is it? Garreffa: An aged Parmigiano Reggiano. I’m going to need it to last a while!
Young: Jerseyhoeve Schorren, which is made from a herd of 80 cattle that live on the island of Goeree-Overflakke, Netherlands. It’s creamy and has so many interesting notes that I think I can live off it for a really long time. Michael: Grana Padano.
What’s your go-to wine and cheese pairing?
Garreffa: Our 2019 Barbera d’Asti, with some stinky Taleggio. Young: Triple cream brie and Champagne.
Favorite cured meat?
Garreffa: Iberico chorizo. Young: Anything I can share with Michael—he loves the stuff! Michael: Salami.
What’s in your go-to grilled cheese recipe?
Garreffa: I have to admit that classic American cheese and bacon is delicious. However, I
do love luxurious versions, with a combo of Juscht and Imperial Buck and a slice of tomato. Young: I feel like this is a veiled attempt to spill our famous grilled cheese recipe. I’m simply not going to do it! We call it our house blend because it is a secret and I promise you that once you taste our grilled cheese, you’ll never put any other kind in your mouth again.
Michael: I don’t like grilled cheese.
Wheel of Fortune
BY FRANCESCA FUREY
EVERY WEEKEND, JOE GARREFFA AND SCOTT YOUNG—BOTH fresh out of college—used to find themselves hanging around South Philadelphia’s Italian Market. It’s a food-lover’s paradise: you can wander, smell, and taste your way through new and classic foods, and pick up fresh and affordable ingredients to cook up at home. Their love for ethnic markets continued to grow, and led them on expeditions to Napa, Lyon, Rome, Havana, and even St. Petersburg and Melbourne, to explore what those food- focused areas had to offer.
Almost 20 years and a young son later, the two seized the opportunity to own the food store of their dreams. Nyack’s Simard & Co, a beloved gourmet shop on Broadway filled with international cheeses, provisions, and charcuterie, was up for sale. Garreffa and Young loved the store when they first relocated to Nyack
in 2017, and purchased it last October. “We saw nothing but potential for this place. We saw that a brand existed of exquisite specialty food items and now, with some tweaks, it’s better than ever,” says Young.
The duo has spruced up the place with tasting menus, cheese classes, and even “Wheel Wednesdays,” when Garreffa dives into the flavors of a specific cheese each week on Instagram (follow on @joeygsnyackfoodtours). We chatted with Garreffa and Young to find out what’s new and what’s next.
How do you select and source your products?
Our food comes from all over the world. Our cheeses are carefully sourced— we import mainly from Europe, and we carry some incredible cheese from the U.S. as well. We specialize in cheese and charcuterie, but there’s a cornucopia of other products on our shelves—from crackers and cornichons to pastas and pickles, to hot sauce and honey—plus charcuterie accessories. We like to think that Simard & Co is a one-stop shop for amping up your meal.
photo courtesy of simard & co
june – august 2022
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