Growing up in New York City as the son of an award-winning chef, Jimmy Kunz had the privilege of being exposed to a wealth of diverse culinary influences. And attending the United Nations International School expanded his horizons still further. The ability of cooking to bring people together really imprinted on Jimmy, and he made it his mission to create experiences that allow people to commune over food.
After various stints in restaurant kitchens, as the manager of an organic vegetable farm, and working sales and distribution for an artisanal sausage company, Jimmy felt ready to strike out on his own. He had a thing for truffles (who doesn’t, really), and wanted to increase the American consumer’s familiarity with the magical, valuable mushrooms.
After developing recipes that made the fancy fungi much more accessible (including the truffle butter he gifted to friends and family over the holidays), Jimmy began to develop a customer base, hand-delivering his products throughout NYC via Vespa, like a modern-day street cart vendor. In 2013, he was able to officially open a production kitchen in Long Island City, Queens, and The Truffleist was born!
Besides selling wholesale and retail, The Truffleist has become a fixture at many of the city’s pop-up and holiday markets, including Madison Square Eats and Gansevoort Market. One of their most sought-after items is the massively popular and insanely indulgent cheesesteak sandwich. But if you can’t make it to NYC, you can always stock up on Jimmy’s truffle-infused products, in order to whip one up at home!