Aleksander Acovski is excited.
That鈥檚 putting it mildly, by the way. The founder of has an infectious, permanent smile plastered on his face, as if he鈥檚 just won the lottery and is keeping it a secret. When it comes to sharing food and conversation, he can barely contain his enthusiasm.
Such is life when you鈥檙e a champion of truffles.
Acovski鈥檚 Troy-based company specializes in purveying the coveted subterranean fungus to restaurants in Michigan and beyond. If you鈥檝e ever enjoyed truffles at Detroit鈥檚 best restaurants, there鈥檚 a good chance they moved through his warehouse.
Acovski hails from Macedonia, where truffles are abundant, though not quite plentiful enough that the region is a destination for them. Still, he grew up with truffles in his own backyard. His uncle is also a hunter, foraging and selling the fungi to local restaurants and clients back home.
Before he started Old World Truffles, Acovski noticed that many of the truffles being sold to restaurants in Detroit were, sadly, low quality 鈥 mushy, moldy, dull, and lifeless. He was horrified 鈥 offended, even. He flew home to grab some truffles from his backyard in Macedonia and brought them to Michigan, where chefs became enamored with the perfectly ripe and powerfully aromatic summer truffles from his homeland.
It鈥檚 these very Macedonian truffles that got chef James Rigato of Mabel Gray hooked. Back in 2018, Rigato posted a photo on Instagram of Acovski holding a tray of gorgeous black truffles.
鈥淪ame day, I have at least 100 phone calls,鈥 Acovski recalls. From there, Old World Truffles found its footing, and with each new enthusiastic customer, each new restaurant, his business, and his smile, grew.
Just about all of Acovski鈥檚 truffles now come from Italy, where his network of truffle hunters diligently scours the forests with their trained dogs. P茅rigord truffles, Burgundy truffles, black summer truffles, and luxurious white truffles grace his warehouse during the course of a year, each with a specific flavor, terroir, and potency. Acovski鈥檚 wife, Marina, sings the praises of P茅rigord truffles, her personal favorite, which pack a chocolaty, deeply nutty taste. Their season starts in mid-November.
White truffles are another winter truffle with an even shorter, frenzied season, and their suitors are many. 鈥淭he aroma is crazy. One small truffle, the whole room here will smell like truffle,鈥 Acovski delightedly explains.
Acovski鈥檚 ebullience extends past truffles, however. He鈥檚 excited about damn near everything 鈥 wine, cheese, Italian tomatoes, seasonings, pasta, and the like. He sells opulent Italian olive oil, natural wine, and crushed tomatoes imported from Mount Vesuvius. His line of truffle-infused products includes salt, oil, Parmesan cream, balsamic glaze, and, perhaps most notably, truffle honey.
Occasionally, Acovski鈥檚 warehouse turns into an industry hangout, where local chefs smoke cigars and sometimes bust out a giant Parmesan wheel to make pasta alla ruota.
During a recent lunch near his desk, Acovski opens two bottles of wine and serves pasta he prepares with bacon, Parmesan, and freshly shaved black truffles. A wooden board filled with truffle-studded cheese and flaky burek is enjoyed with gentle globs of his honey. When I look around the warehouse, I see we鈥檙e surrounded by some of the best food products on Earth, and suddenly his smile makes all the sense in the world.
This story originally appeared in the February 2025 issue of 糖心vlog安卓版. To read more, pick up a copy of 糖心vlog安卓版 Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our will be available on Feb. 10.听
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