Olive oils for every occasion: fruity to exotic, yet always delicious
By Jennifer Bradley Franklin | Photos by Sara Hanna
It’s credited with being a secret to Mediterranean longevity, touted as a heart healthy fat and even praised as a skincare super-ingredient. Olive oils can be as varied as the wine grapes they often grow alongside, so we set out to discover some of our neighborhood’s best offerings.
1. Whole Foods Market: Copper Pot Kitchen’s Honey Balsamic ($13.99, for 8.45 ounces)
Often, the simplest pleasures are the best. Case in point: dipping a piece of just-baked bread in a really good olive oil. Georgia girl and world traveler Ashley Tarver’s just-released line of oil blends are just right for this practice. The blend is made with 100 percent extra-virgin oils from Spain, sweet and tangy honey balsamic, and a bit of herbaceous dried thyme, so it’s ideal for dipping. Best of all, there’s no extra prep needed for this appetizer in a bottle, though we’re itching to make Tarver’s recipe (find it at www.copperpotkitchen.com) for Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin.
Whole Foods Market | 77 West Paces Ferry Road | Atlanta 30305
404.324.4100 | www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/buckhead
2. Pricci: Puglia Blend ($20, for 20 ounces)
Anyone who has spoken with Chef Piero Premoli at Pricci will recognize his great passion for the food and culinary traditions of his home country, Italy. In 2009, he traveled to the Puglia region of Southern Italy to compete in a cooking competition and discovered several farms producing superior robust, piquant olive oil, which he now sells as a private label to his guests. Like so much in Italian cooking, even the olive oils are highly seasonal, so he offers a lighter, more delicate oil from the north (Liguria, specifically) during the colder months. Get this one while you can.
Pricci | 500 Pharr Road N.E. | Atlanta 30305
404.237.2941 | www.buckheadrestaurants.com/pricci
3. Cooks Warehouse: Georgia Olive Farms ($31.99, for 16.9 ounces)
If eating local is a way of life for you, allow us to introduce you to an olive oil grown and blended less than 250 miles from Buckhead. A small collection of farms—growing the first olives harvested east of the Mississippi River since the 1800s—are producing Georgia’s first certified extra-virgin olive oil ever. The Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki olives are picked and cold-pressed the next day, so the taste is fresh, smooth, fruity and just a (very) tiny bit peppery. The clean taste means it’s really versatile (delicious for dressings, finishing dishes and marinades).
Cooks Warehouse | 4062 Peachtree Road | Atlanta 30319
404.949.9945 | www.cookswarehouse.com
4. Kroger: Gradassi’s Lo Storico ($25.99, for 25 ounces)
It might seem odd to find a world-class olive oil at your local grocery store, but this newly stocked one from Italy is really spectacular. Produced by a sixth-generation olive oil family (producing since 1639), the care taken with the oil is clear. The olives are hand-picked from the Gradassi family farm in Italy’s Umbria region, and the result is a strongly fruity, peridot-hued oil that pairs well with the delicate flavor of beans or a salad. Plus, it carries the DOP (Denomination of Protected Origin) seal, so you can feel confident you’re getting a quality product.
Kroger | 3330 Piedmont Road | Atlanta 30305
404.237.8022 | www.kroger.com
5. Oli & Ve: Baklouti Green Chili Oil ($9.95, for 6.76 ounces)
For a departure from standard EVOO flavors, we discovered this delicious (and spicy) oil, infused with Tunisian Baklouti chilis from North Africa’s Barbary Coast. One pound of olives are crushed together with 1.6 pounds of these fruity chilis to create this fragrant, piquant oil. Just a touch provides a welcome kick to mashed potatoes, cheese grits, corn salsa or even an original take by the shop’s staff: Baklouti Bites, a dish of eggs, cheddar and jalapeños, the recipe for which is offered on the shop’s website.
Oli & Ve | 3263 Roswell Road N.E. | Atlanta 30305
404.841.1012 | www.oliandve.com
6. Rumson Gifts: Gonnelli Profumo d’ Oliva ($72, for 16.9 ounces)
One look at the gorgeous packaging of this oil from the Chianti region of Italy and you know it’s special—a sleek black box with a crimson seal opens to reveal a stout square bottle with elegant pour spout. The oil inside the bottle is just as special: It’s a blend of the highly prized Frantoio and Moraiolo olives, offered in limited production. The golden-green oil is fragrant, almost like a perfume, and has flavors of almond, fresh-cut grass (in the best possible way) and a hint of pleasant bitterness.
Rumson Gifts (By appointment only) | 458 East Paces Ferry Road | Atlanta 30305
770.656.0075 | www.rumsongifts.com
