Guacamole News

Dallas-based avocado group hosts class with avocado tips and tricks

They don't weigh in on the "peel vs. scoop" debate.

Avocados From Mexico

A Dallas-based organization that advocates for avocados has launched a new educational program designed to cover all your avocado basics.

Launched by Avocados From Mexico, it's called the Avo University, and is an educational guide and certification program designed specifically for retail and foodservice professionals.

Those would include: produce store associates, wholesalers, grocery e-commerce professionals, foodservice operators, and distributors.

The program is online, free, easily accessible, and takes about half an hour.

While it's designed for industry professionals, who's to say that you may or may not have plans to become an industry professional in the near future?

You can register at avocadosfrommexico.com/avocado-university/foodservice-registration/. Enter your contact information, where you work, and what field that falls under. Whatever you enter, it is not for us to say.

There are no specific dates, the program is available now.

A release says that the class could make industry professionals more confident on these avocado topics:

information on blooms
how to receive and store avocados
sizing
ripening
proper temperature levels
merchandising strategies

A 2016 study conducted by AFM revealed that 73 percent of shoppers would be more likely to buy avocados if they had more knowledge about them.

The curriculum also promises to help dispel common misperceptions about avocados. What would be some common misperceptions about avocados? Maybe people are mistaking them for eggplants. Or maybe avocados come off as grumpy because they have a nubby peel when they're really very pleasant inside. Maybe people think avocados have hallucinogenic properties. Unfortunately, you cannot get high on avocados.

If you notice, they do not weigh in whether you should peel or scoop. "Peel vs. scoop" is a controversial topic. Some people think peeling is too hard and scoop their avocados with a spoon, even though you waste a bit of the good green part right on the edge. If you're in the know, you know that peeling an avocado is a breeze and the more righteous approach.

In a statement, Avocados From Mexico culinary director David Spirito says that "the many tips, tricks, and techniques available at Avo University make the category easy and fun to master."

The tips and tricks are why we are here. They include:

The five stages of avocado ripeness and the best menu uses for each, so no avocados go wasted
Methods for bulk avocado prep and ripening
Avocado handling tips and tricks to maximize restaurant back-of-house techniques
Holding methods to keep avocado halves, slices, dices or guac perfectly green throughout service

"We look forward to helping foodservice professionals expand their avocado knowledge and impress their guests as a result," Spirito says.

education tex-mex

Deli News

Gourmet market Ari's Pantry to open in Dallas' Trinity Groves

Ari's Pantry

undefined

A new gourmet grocery is coming to Trinity Groves: Ari's Pantry, the market launched in Oak Cliff by husband-and-wife Ari and Amy Lowenstein, will open a second location in West Dallas’ Trinity Groves, with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, November 30.

Located at 3011 Gulden Ln. #119 in the space that was once home to Potato Flats who remembers them, the Trinity Groves store will offer: pasta, olive oil, vinegars, preserves, candy, bread, crackers, cheese, meats, pizza dough, fresh pasta, housewares, cocktail ingredients, novelty kitchen gadgets, spices, prepared foods, fresh pesto and Ari’s own tomato sauce.

“We are excited to open our newest location at Trinity Groves joining the great businesses already there and the wave of new ventures opening in the development,” Ari Lowenstein says in a release. “With this location we will reach a new audience in West Dallas and be closer to our customers coming from downtown and the north.”

The couple opened their first location in Winnetka Heights at 1307 ½ W. Davis St. in December 2023 to fulfill Ari's passion for all things Italy. The idea was a small Italian food store with recipe-ready staples, with a hyper-local vibe. It has since blossomed into a general-purpose gourmet stop.

In addition to the food staples for sale found at their Bishop Arts location, Ari’s Trinity Groves location will also include a commercial catering kitchen that will enable them to provide full-service catering, prepared meal pick-up, pasta classes, and private dinners.

“Amy and Ari bring something new and special to this development as our first partner to offer consumer packaged goods made by people and companies outside of Trinity Groves,” said Sam Romano, Partner at West Dallas Investments, parent company of Trinity Groves. “They are part of the vision we have for the future of Trinity Groves that will combine innovative, up and coming chefs and restauranteurs with lifestyle and entertainment options like pickleball, bocce ball, popup events, arcade game play and additional retail partners.”

The Ari's empire doesn't stop here: Their goal is to open multiple locations "in all corners of DFW and beyond," and that includes a location in the Cyprus Waters community in Coppell, slated to open in spring 2025.

downtown openings