....................480 Adams Street, Suite #208, Milton Massachusetts, USA • 617.696.7758
 
 
 
 

Employees Make
the Fruit Center Special

L.M. Lorizio
10/14/10
There are so many great things to talk about when I think of the Fruit Center at the Milton Marketplace, and I will.

But what makes the Fruit Center so special are the hardworking, always willing and happy-to-help people who take pride in their jobs to make the Fruit Center what it is. As soon as you step through the doors, the first things you see are the vibrantly colored, beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers and unique little treasures that are scattered about.

One person I tend to seek advice from is Tim Paulus, the wine buyer. He is approachable, knowledgeable and passionate about wine. He will help you choose a nice bottle of wine in your price range to fit your individual needs, whether it’s for a special dinner or gift.

Tim earned a four-year degree in culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. While attending school at the institute he also studied wine extensively. Before he took the job at the Fruit Center as the main wine buyer, he had many interviews. He chose to work at the Fruit Center, and has been here for the past five years.

He spends a lot of time tasting and carefully choosing which wines will make the cut. One special, hard-to-come-by wine Tim had offered recently was displayed front and center and deservingly so. When I saw this wine, I was truly surprised. Memories came flooding back to me of an unforgettable experience I had with my husband while on an anniversary trip to Sonoma’s wine country. What makes this wine so unique is that the vineyard only produces a small number of cases. This is what Tim has brought to the Fruit Center.

He also does a once-a-month wine tasting along with some tasty treats. It’s a great way to experience some of the wines they offer. It’s like being in a candy shop as a child, except now you’re a grown-up foodie.

In addition to the wine department, the Fruit Center also offers a wonderful selection of cheeses, and helpful meat and fish counters. The people at the cold-cut counter are a pleasure to work with. The fruit and vegetable aisles are stacked with crisp and colorful, unblemished fruit and farm-fresh veggies in perfect form, like soldiers standing at attention. The soups are a huge hit in my family; made with fresh ingredients, they taste just like you ladled it from your own Dutch oven. The salad bar is in a league of its own.

Kudos to the owners of the Fruit Center at Milton Marketplace. I think it not only has to do with everything they offer to their customers but the positive attitude that is generated every day by their employees.

(Editor’s Notes: The author is a resident of Milton. The Fruit Center’s fund-raising program for the public schools begins Oct. 21; see more next week.)