Heart-healthy olive oils and vinegars fused and infused with delicious natural flavors have found a home in The Olive Oil Market. There are between 55 and 60 different oils and vinegars stretching along one entire side of the store, and guests can pour a taste of each from dispensing containers, called fustis, that rest on a shelf above the bottles.
“It’s like a candy store for adults,” says owner Tony Procida. Tony and his wife, Maggie, are from Long Island, New York, and they came to Florida for the laid-back, relaxed atmosphere and the naturally friendly people of the area. After visiting similar oil and vinegar shops, they were intrigued by the concept. They both love to cook and consider quality oils and vinegars an important part of the process. So, after years of research, they opened their own shop on November 11.
It’s a shop Tony and Maggie consider perfect for food-minded adults. Their selection of the highest quality oils and vinegars is not only based on the blind tastings they did but as importantly on the purity of the product. Because they’re a privately owned business, they can resource both local and world-class products, including domestic and imported extra-virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars that are imported from Modena, Italy.
“Our concept is based on the word fresh” is the underlying drive that the couple focuses on daily.
All spices, herbs, rubs and chili peppers come fresh from domestic mills with many of these products being organic. The nine types and flavors of honey in the shop come from a small batch beekeeper in Groveland, Florida. Tony and Maggie also carry body care products made with olive oil that are imported from Italy, along with an extensive line of jams, jellies, salsas and simmering sauces made by the specialty condiments company Stonewall Kitchen.
“Come in with an open mind and a clean palate,” Tony and Maggie recommend.
They are here to provide guidance and suggest different pairings of these heart-friendly olive oils and balsamic vinegars. But if you still can’t decide, you can simply taste your way through the shop. Tony and Maggie have many plans for the future, including expanding the product selections of this unique approach to a delicious, healthy and fresh experience.
