Behind the Box is Harvie’s way of connecting you to the people behind your weekly grocery delivery. Meet Ted Progar, Materials Lead. His favorite things about Harvie? The unique selection of groceries and his coworkers.
What is the last thing you ate?
The last thing I ate was a fried chicken sandwich from Bird on the Run. It absolutely rules… but you gotta get it as spicy as you can manage. Their hottest option has Ghost and Carolina Reaper peppers, and the heat from Carolina Reaper doesn’t hit you right away, giving you a few minutes to just enjoy the sandwich. Then you feel a heat building on the back of your tongue, and for the next 10-15 minutes you’ll be under pressure. The trick is to not drink too much water and let the endorphins take over.
What’s your favorite comfort food, go-to meal, or recipe?
Grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup. You’ve got to have the soup be chunky and use it as a dip for the sandwich.
What’s your favorite Harvie product?
Probably either the Chipotle Salsa from Ocho or the Best Ever Granola. Both are delicious… but I wouldn’t eat the chipotle salsa on a date. The liquid smoke smell is powerful.
What’s your favorite bridge or spot in Pittsburgh?
If I could be corny for a minute, my whole family lives in Pittsburgh. Seeing my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and my niece and nephew always helps my spirit. So wherever they are is my favorite place in Pittsburgh. Either that or getting my eardrums blown out at Collision.
What’s your favorite thing about Harvie/working for Harvie?
I think our unique and local food selection goes above and beyond compared to what you can get from anywhere else. Going to a typical, basic grocery store, you’re lucky if you get one aisle of food that you haven’t already had 1000 times — and there won’t be any description of the food. It’s completely overwhelming. With Harvie, you have an easy-to-use website with pictures and descriptions that give you a taste of what you’re getting. It rocks.
And, at the risk of being corny again, another favorite thing is the people. My coworkers are awesome. I think I’m a pretty typical late 20s/early 30s dude in that I have the same friend group I’ve had since college and high school. I didn’t expect to get a whole bunch of new friends. But now, I’m regularly making plans to hang out with my coworkers outside of work and inviting them over to my house. It’s a really special group here.