West Chester

Finally, we can let out a secret we have been dying to share with our fellow foodies for months!  One of our favorite shops is tentatively set to open at Austin Landing in May, 2015.  It is called The Spicy Olive and can satisfy any pallet of needs! This unique tasting emporium carries a large variety of specialty olive oils and balsamic vinegars that are of the utmost quality! And yes, you’ll get to taste them all!  Looking to amp up the flavors in your kitchen? Need to find your favorite cook a gift? Want a fun place for a foodie date? Look no further than The Spicy Olive !

The Food Adventures Crew appreciates not only great places to go out and eat, but also places that will bring the flavors of high end dining right into your own kitchen! And dear foodie friends, this place does just that!  For the past couple of years we have been heading down 75 south to the town of West Chester, and using Spicy Olive’s products.  Hungry Jax introduced the rest of the Food Adventure Crew and we were hooked !

As you all know, we typically feature Dayton foodstuffs.  So, when we found out they were coming to the Gem City, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight this unique and delicious shopping experience! There are so many incredible oils and vinegars to sample.  Rest assured, your Food Adventures Crew tried them ALL! And you’ll find a decent stock pile of them in our own home kitchens at any given time!

 

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

—While eating her way through culinary masterpieces on her travels to Italy, owner and founder, Melanie Cedargren fell in love with the rich and pure quality of FRESH olive oil. So much so that she was inspired to bring back this freshness and superb taste. And we are SO glad that she did! In September of 2012, her dream came true and she opened her first store. It is a unique shop that allows you to taste and combine any and all of the oils and vinegars offered.

— Cedargren and her staff (many of whom started as loyal customers), run two stores south of our Gem city: one located in West Chester (7671 Cox Lane, West Chester, OH 45069) and the other in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park (2736 Erie Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45208).  The third store will be at Austin Landing, and Food Adventures is the first to spill the beans on this new location! At each store, you will find around 20 different olive oils and specialty oils along with 30 balsamic vinegars! But you won’t get overwhelmed with options, because the staff has made it easy for you to combine flavors and even provide recipe cards to help you create culinary masterpieces!

— The Spicy Olive, prides itself on the fact that their oils are purchased using a “bi-hemispheric” model, ensuring that the freshest oils are purchased during peak seasons. These oils travel from Italy, Greece, Spain, South Africa, Brazil and many other places all depending on when their peak season is. The balsamic vinegars are all aged 12-18 years and are imported from Modena, Italy!  These oils and vinegars are then infused by their supplier, Veronica Foods Co. in California. The Spicy Olive is different from chain olive oil shops as they (and their supplier) pride themselves on not being a franchise, allowing them to keep their business more personable and their products of highest quality.

— Bottles are filled on the spot for you and run anywhere from $11-$25.  Also sold are specialty olives, jams and spices from local vendors! Need a gift? Here you’ll find gift baskets as well fun pasta and serving dishes. At the West Chester store you can also purchase fine wines from “UnCorked at The Spicy Olive”, ran by Scott Hau, located in the back of the store. Also offered are cooking classes with local chefs! And if that wasn’t enough, they have started a cosmetic line that is based with their pure olive oil and fragranced with essential oils! These products are also all natural.

Like we said, we literally have tried every oil and vinegar in this store.  We have compiled a list of our favorites.  They are a list of what we feel are the best flavors, and best successes we had, when cooking at home with these products.

The list is big, but they are all MUST EATS !

 

MUST EATS:

BUTTER OLIVE OIL: Yes, you read that right. The world of butter and olive oil have united and created something that you can indulge in without feeling the guilt! Hungry Jax frequently uses this on homemade popcorn for a healthy alternative! It’s also great for roasting vegetables!

VERMONT MAPLE BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Your mouth will be very happy to taste this one! The sweet, but not over powering flavor of the real maple syrup dances deliciously with the balsamic vinegar creating a product that you can drizzle on chicken, salads, fruit and so much more!

TUSCAN HERB OLIVE OIL: This is one of their top sellers! And it’s not secret as to why. The flavor combinations of  the herbs infused of oregano, rosemary, sage and garlic provide a complete package to toss this with some pasta and top with fresh Parmesan cheese! Or you can just grab hunk of crusty bread and dip away! Again, the possibilities are endless!

ESPRESSO BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Who knew that coffee and vinegar could work? Well it does. Try making your self a glaze to top off a steak with this one! Spicy Olive suggests pairing this with the Blood Orange Olive Oil for a flavorful pork marinade!

BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL:  Another big seller! There is no mistaking the citrus zip that this oil has! This oil is infused with REAL orange. Replace the oil in your favorite brownie recipe with this!

HARISSA OLIVE OIL: Like spice? Well this oil will help kick up the heat in any dish you serve it! Roasted chili peppers, cumin, garlic, cinnamon and caraway are flavors that pack this oil with it’s flavorful punch!

TOASTED SESAME SEED OIL: This is like no other sesame seed oil that you have tasted. Go out and buy a wok. Trust us, you’ll want to stir fry everything in this oil!  The Big Ragu had struggled for years, but was never able to get that”Chinese Restaurant” taste to his stir fry dishes.  This product finally solved his problem, and the aroma in the house is like Chinatown!

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Vinegar on dessert? Yup. It works. Drizzle this beauty on top of your strawberry shortcake and you’ve just wowed your guests with a layer of unexpected flavor.

SICILIAN LEMON WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR:  One of the Big Ragu’s favorites.  Use this when pan searing calamari, shrimp and scallops.  We have had great success cooking with this vinegar, but it makes a great salad dressing when mixed with olive oil !  We eat in on spinach salad most!

FROG JAM: Figs, Raspberries, Oranges and Ginger make up the flavors of this jam.  On toast or on crackers, it will make your morning shine.  you will never think of the word “frog” the same way again!

Honorable Mention:  The Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil is fantastic with seafood.  So is the Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil with its garlic, lemon and mint flavors from Italy.

We can go on and on with all the flavors they offer!  Garlic, Wild Dill,  Basil are just a few more of the olive oils. The gourmet line of oils include Truffle Oils, Sesame, Almond and Walnut. Ever try Lavender Balsamic Vinegar? Well here you can! What about Mango? Dark Chocolate? Blueberry?

Can’t wait until the Austin Landing opening in May? Then head on down to one of their Cincy locations today and check it out! Melanie and her staff are ready to take you on a culinary journey that will have you coming back for more!  Explore, because your kitchen will never be the same again.

The Spicy Olives products are high quality because they supervise how, when and where the olives are pressed, to the flavors they are infused with, and even down to the proper way to store them. The Spicy Olive elevates olive oil and vinegar to create superb dishes beyond your salad bowl!  Don’t miss stopping into this store in the future.  your kitchen will never be the same.  Olive this place, well …we all do!

Please check out our photo gallery below of The Spicy Olive’s products and how we put them to use!

Want more scoop on Dayton food happenings?  Follow Hungry Jax, Chef House, The Big Ragu and The King on Facebook by clicking HERE.

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