Olivino Is Bringing Good Taste to St. Charles
Olivino Is Bringing Good Taste to St. Charles
Tickling the Taste Buds with Ultra-Premium Samples at Olivino
St. Charles, MO/February 27, 2017 (STLRestaurant.News) – Olive oil, like the fruit itself, has been a part of civilization since before recorded history. Many chefs consider it the most essential, elemental ingredient in their craft. Extra-virgin is the highest grade of olive oil. It’s pressed straight from the olive, without the use of chemicals or excessive heat, so it retains the sweetest, purest flavor profile. The very best extra-virgin olive oils can finish a dish like nothing else can. Olivino Tasting Bar at 1650 Beale Street #167, in the Streets of St. Charles, is giving home cooks and foodies the chance to sample Ultra-Premium extra-virgin olive oils before buying them—and amazing balsamic vinegars too!
Olivino owner Debbie Baker-Oliver is a former corporate executive with a passion for good food that’s contagious. Lucky for us, she’s channeling that passion into a business that will make all our lives more delicious. Let’s face it, gourmet items like olive oil and balsamic can be intimidating to the home cook. It can be difficult to find the ones that suit our individual palates. Many of us don’t even know where to start. That’s where Olivino comes in! This specialty food shop gives customers the chance to sample the very best olive oils from around the world, and balsamic vinegars from the birthplace of balsamic, Modena, Italy. All of the olive oils and balsamics at Olivino are sourced from Veronica Foods, sticklers for quality and the “real deal” when it comes to EVOO and balsamics.
The olive oils you’ll find at Olivino bear the Ultra-Premium (UP) logo. To earn the UP designation, these extra-virgin olive oils must exceed worldwide standards for olive oil quality. Ultra-Premium extra-virgin olive oils are the freshest and finest olive oils in the world today. They are made from the very best oil olives like Arbosana, Arbequina and Koroneiki. At Olivino, you can sample the pure olive oils to find your favorites, or try one of the flavored varieties. They offer both fused olive oils, which are crushed at picking with spices or herbs like rosemary; and infused olive oil, which have herbs or fruit zest blended in afterward. They also offer samples of foods made with these amazing oils, so you can taste for yourself what a difference an amazing EVOO makes. A favorite among customers is the blood orange olive oil brownies. They also offer some non-food products like olive oil lotions, shampoo & conditioners, body wash, soaps, and even candles!
Olivino is also a great source for the very best balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy. This is the home of balsamic vinegar—where it’s been made since the Middle Ages. Some modern balsamics you’ll find in supermarkets are actually blends of balsamic and wine vinegar with caramel color and sugar added. Not the balsamic vinegars sold at Olivino; their mellow sweetness and deep color comes from being aged for a minimum of 12 years in a battery of several barrels of successively smaller sizes. The casks are made of woods like chestnut, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash and juniper, each imparting a different nuance to the vinegar. No matter which you try, the superior balsamic vinegars you’ll find at Olivino offer a classic velvety mouth-feel with rich, complex flavors.
Because these vinegars are made using the slow, time-honored process, most have only three grams of sugar per tablespoon. There are two exceptions in the Olivino line up. The Aged Vermont Maple Balsamic, the first of its kind, using 100-percent pure maple syrup that’s produced at a small family farm in Vermont, has eight grams of sugar per tablespoon, but then again, it is made from real Vermont maple syrup! This naturally infused balsamic condimento, like all of Olivino’s others, is caramel color-free, free of added sugar or thickeners, and aged in the wood barrels of the traditional Solera System in Modena, Italy. This one is an excellent choice to top ice cream! The other exception is Olivino’s handcrafted artisanal Serrano Honey Vinegar. This golden elixir is made in the USA with 100–percent pure honey. It has only six grams of sugar per tablespoon and is also free of sulphites!
In addition to olive oils and vinegars, Olivino also offers specialty foods like local cheeses from Heartland Creamery (Newark, MO) and Milton Creamery (Milton, Iowa), as well as sausage from St. Louis’ Salume Beddu (Named “The Best Salami in the Country” by Forbes Magazine), and artisan candies from Ethereal Confections (Woodstock, IL). You’ll find gourmet pastas, including gluten free varieties; pestos and sauces; gourmet salts and peppers, tapenades, and stuffed olives. You’ll also find some accoutrements that make serving your oils and vinegars more fun! There are popcorn sprayers that let you flavor your snack with delicious, healthy olive oil. There are also items made from olive tree wood including cutting boards and bowls. Olivino can also create beautiful gift baskets that are as thoughtful as they are delicious! They do bridal shower and wedding favors too!
Coming soon: Wine tastings! Olivino will soon offer wines from Noboleis Vineyard in Augusta, and regional craft beers too. Debbie Baker-Oliver also has her own vineyard, Triple 3 Vineyard, near Washington, Missouri. This is its fourth growing year, so it’s really just getting started, but she’s hoping to one day offer her own wines too. And while the winery is not yet open to the public, they do host weddings and other special events.
As if tasting while you shop isn’t enough, Olivino is also offering special event tastings. These are part cooking class and part pop-up dinner! These are chef led, intimate events for 10 to 12 people. Visiting chefs will prepare simple, wholesome, and delicious foods using the oils, vinegars, and other ingredients found at Olivino. So these are meals diners will be able to go home and prepare for themselves too! Diners will also learn about the health benefits of olive oil and the best ways to use the products in cooking and baking. The dinners will include wine and beer pairings as appropriate. There will be special theme nights, like “Date Night,” “Girls Night Out,” “Making Veggies Kids will Love,” and others. Guests can reserve a spot in the demonstration dinner they choose, or book a private event for a birthday, bridal shower, corporate outing, or social club gathering.
Olivino is open for tasting and shopping Monday – Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Sunday hours will expand as the weather warms!) The sampling at Olivino is more than your standard dribble of oil on bread. Try some balsamic on ice cream, or extra-virgin olive oil infused brownies. This is the place to come, taste, and learn about these exquisite culinary essentials from a knowledgeable and helpful staff that are all too happy to share their love of fine flavorings with you. A complimentary tasting at Olivino is sure to be flavorful, and it may just change the way you define deliciousness.