MONTREAL -- Those scrambling for a last-minute gift for a foodie on the list might want to swing by Dante Hardware in Little Italy and nab an old-school cooking device from a local business that draws crowds of shoppers.
The business continues to operate in the midst of big box stores and online alternatives.
"You also have to offer something different than the big stores, and that's the communication with the customer," said owner Elena Faita.
Though online sales make up a large part of the business, the Little Italy retail shop still stocks a wide array of kitchen supplies.
"Making homemade pasta is so popular today," said Faita. "We have a kit. We have the pasta dryer. We have the ravioli forms right here."
Faita also runs her own cooking school where she teaches pasta cooking techniques.
She believes investing in old school cooking techniques is a way to offset the damage done to the environment in the past century.
"I'm in the generation that, we ruined the planet, so now we have to get back to the old ways," said Faita, who has her own line of cookware from Italy.
"Buying something that you keep for a long time, you're always saying money," said Faita.
