Walking though Protein Alley at Fort Worth Central Market, you've no doubt heard this man's velvet voice tempting you to try seafood delights and savory samples, or perhaps you've taken one of his Seafood 101 cooking classes, offered in our Cooking School. We'd like to introduce you to the man behind the voice.

Lee Elsesser, the last original Foodie of the 11 who opened the Fort in 2001, has worked in all parts of the store, but his primary duty has been to prepare and serve demo samples at Main Station, at the east end of Protein Alley. Since 2002, he has also taught seafood cooking classes for the Cooking School, and is one of our resident experts in all manner of seafood preparation.

Lee is a Colorado native, and prior to joining Central Market, spent the bulk of his professional career in broadcasting, including 17 years in the News Department at Channel 5 in Fort Worth/Dallas. He's a regular local celebrity!

Two of Lee's interests have always been fishing and cooking, and at Central Market he found a way to combine them. If he were forced to choose a single product as his favorite – and that's a tough choice! – he would have to pick the Lemon-Garlic Finishing Sauce from Bittersweet Herb Farm. He says, "This sauce has many uses, but as a seasoning for salmon, whether you grill, broil or bake it, the Lemon-Garlic comes pretty close to perfect."

When he's not cooking up a storm for Central Market, Lee spends his free time working on a cookbook and a book of poetry on southeastern Colorado.

Next time you're in the store, keep your ears open for Lee's voice and be sure to taste the delicious recipe he's preparing that day!