00:28Okay. And how long have you been doing the catering business?
00:33Sure. Well, we started this company last year, but I've been working fine dining for about a good decade now.
00:38And I decided to take all that background and transfer it to a catering company that focuses on locally sustainable and sourced products.
00:46Okay, great. Now, give us a little background from your standpoint.
00:53Like, where did you go to school? Maybe high school?
00:57Because you're a local guy.
00:58Absolutely, yeah. I grew up in northeast Philly. I grew up in Cheltenham.
01:02And then when I was ready to start cooking, I actually went to the University of Pittsburgh for a trial in engineering.
01:07Didn't pan out, but I did go to the restaurant school at Walnut Hill.
01:10Graduated there in 2004.
01:12And then I spent the next seven, eight years working around Philadelphia.
01:17Morimoto, Amada, La Croix, La Bequen, and then traveled over to Spain to work over there for about a year in northern Spain, a gas country.
01:27And I really believe in sourcing locally, supporting the local agricultural communities and the permaculture systems that are in place and building upon them.
01:37And I think that this business gives me a great chance to really work with the farmers and express my creative side, my passion for food.
01:46Yes, and I was out there tasting the food, guys.
01:50Everything was great.
01:51And when he would come out and introduce the dishes, he always would tell of locally grown and locally sourced meats.
02:04He's going to be awesome farmers.
02:05One of my good friends, Jack Goldenberg, actually just started his own farm in Philadelphia, part of the Urban Farming Group.
02:12And we've been using them for a number of months now.
02:14We're really lucky.
02:15They're actually tied to Farm and the Fisherman, another really great locally sourcing restaurant in Philadelphia.
02:20And he supports primarily that restaurant among other really amazing restaurants in Philadelphia.
02:25So we're lucky enough to get his stuff.
02:27Green Zebra Farms is another amazing local farm.
02:30Red Hill Farm we use tonight.
02:32Hillside Farm, North Star Orchards, just to name a few that we work alongside.
02:39And just give us a little insight on the Supper Club and services that you and your catering company provide.
02:49Sure.
02:49Well, we like to think of ourselves as a full-service catering company.
02:52You know, we get into weddings, larger events.
02:54We do a lot of personal cooking classes and group cooking classes in people's homes.
02:59We do a lot of interesting team buildings, chopped or top chef style, which are a lot of fun.
03:05But the Supper Clubs allow us to support various partners supporting what they do really well and have this roving culinary experience.
03:16Different locations, different food every time, different menus, a different feel.
03:20So our goal, we set out to do about one to two a month.
03:23And we've been doing it strong for about, well, since January right now.
03:27It's going great.
03:28Well, thank you, Alex.
03:30And just before we leave, give us a little, just some information where we can contact you, the people of Philadelphia.
03:38Absolutely.
03:39Well, we're all over social media.
03:42But our website is www.alexgarfinkel.com or alexgarfinkelcatering.com.
03:47You can find us there with all public events listed on the front page.
03:50I think that's probably the best way to get in touch with us.
03:54Awesome, awesome.
03:56Hey, guys, for Mr. Alex Garfield and his catering company and Ricky Red Shoes, Wild About Philly, we'll be right back.
