An Education in Olive Oil in Grand Central Station
Written: Dec 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Hail to all things olive! An olive oil lover's paradise!
Cons: Pricey
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| Epicure's Full Review: New York City |
Visiting O&CO. is like getting a free crash course in the finer points of olive oil appreciation, and as an Italophile who is absolutely crazy about Italian cuisine, this was the most pleasurable shopping experience that I had during my entire Christmas shopping excursion this past weekend. (Believe me, running around Manhattan on a chilly winter day at the height of tourist season is not the way to get you into the Christmas spirit.) If you are a fan of olive oil or plan on buying a gift for a foodie friend, O&CO. may be the answer to your prayers.
Located inside the gorgeously remodeled Grand Central Station, O&CO. is an eye-catching shop. Even though it is small in size, it looks every bit the high-end olive oil purveyor that it is. An olive oil chandelier greets you as you enter the store, which is conveniently close to the main hall and train tracks. The sight of this chandelier will stop any olive oil connoisseur dead in his/her tracks. It is composed of dozens of miniature glass decanters filled with that glorious olive oil. Each one seems to emit a sort of glow. Ahh....
We spent our first few minutes in the shop just staring in awe at all the numerous varieties of olive oil. Finally, a woman who worked at the store took pity on us and asked us if we wanted to participate in an olive oil tasting. Would we?! We didn't need to be asked twice. So off to the sampling station we went. It was a small "island" table with around a dozen cans of olive oil and five tapenades. We were each given a small plastic spoon, and then the fun began.
Our very knowledgeable olive oil server described each type of olive oil, using adjectives that I had before never associated with olive oil, before pouring the precious oil on our spoons. I was amazed at how accurate her descriptions were. The Baena, Andalusia olive oil was light and mild with a lemon note at the end. The Ravida, Sicily olive oil was "grassy" tasting. The Kalamata, Peloponnese olive oil was richer with a peppery, spicy kick to it. The Agrolaguna, Istria olive oil had a bitter aftertaste, which I didn't care for. The les Mees, Haute Provence olive oil was fruity, like a banana. And the list continues on. My favorite, which we ended up purchasing, is the Disisa, Sicily olive oil which tasted faintly of seaweed. Our "instructor" said it has a rather unusual taste and was definitely not for everyone. I was quite impressed that she could describe even the trees and shrubs on which specific kinds of olives grew.
I must admit that before this tasting I had never really considered all the ways in which olive oils differed. I knew extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil meant it was top quality olive oil. I knew certain olives produced a more concentrated, flavorful oil than others. But I had never imagined such variety and such diversity in geographic regions. Whenever I purchase cheese or wine, I naturally inquire about the country of origin. I had never thought to do so with respect to olive oil until now. Who knew that Croatia or Israel produced top-quality olive oil? What a delightful education in olive oil this was! The only thing which would have made this experience even more perfect is if O&CO. had some crusty bread to accompany the olive oil. Having olive oil straight up can get to be a bit much after a while.
We had such a wonderful experience trying all the different olive oils that we decided to press our luck and persuaded our "instructor" to give us samplings of the tapenades as well. Tapenades are Provencal pastes made primarily with olives, capers and anchovies. O&CO has a variety of tapenades, each one created by a famous French chef. For example, Jacques Chibois' tapenade is made with black olives and contains walnuts in addition to the above-mentioned ingredients. Philippe Da Silva's tapenade is made with green olives and contains almonds. Our favorite, Michel del Burgo's tapenade is made with black olives and contains pesto. Tapenades tend to be concentrated and salty due to the olives. Perfect with bread or crackers. You can also use tapenades in cooking - mixing it with pasta sauce or using it to make stuffed chicken breast. O&CO's employees have many helpful suggestions.
In addition to the olive oils and other food items, O&CO. carries a large selection of olive oil dispensers - different sized decanters, flasks and bottles just like you would expect to see in a cozy little Italy restaurant. I remember thinking that they were a bit overpriced though. One small, humble-looking decanter that I admired costs $24. O&CO. also sells lovely squares of olive oil soap that has the refreshing smell of lemons.
As you might expect, this kind of quality and selection does not come cheaply. The cost of 8.4 ounce bottles ranges from $13 to $24, and the cost of 16.8 ounce cans ranges from $18 to $36. The cans are a much better deal than the bottles, but the bottles are more suitable for gift-giving. Included in the cost is free gift wrapping. We purchased a bottle for ourselves as well as a bottle for a friend of ours. Our friend's bottle was expertly wrapped in forest green tissue paper, held together with an O&CO. seal.
O&CO. is the brain child of an entrepreneur by name of Olivier Baussan, a native of Provence, who also founded the L'Occitane skin care/bath products chain.
Note: If you are planning to visit O&CO. sometime this month, you may want to check out the other holiday festivities at Grand Central Station. Now through December 31, Grand Central Station is presenting a Holiday Laser Light Show from 11:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. daily, every half-hour, in the main hall where the train tickets are sold. There are 6 different shows which rotate during the day. Also currently taking place at Grand Central Station is the annual Holiday Fair, a collection of arts and crafts stalls located in Vanderbilt Hall. The business hours of the vendors are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Address: Grand Central Station, across from Track 17
Telephone: 877-828-6620
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
P.S. Does anyone other than me feel we need a Gourmet Foods section on this site? I love reading (and writing) about where to find the best gourmet food products and treats in a particular city, and I think connoisseurs of fresh baked bread, homemade ice cream, imported French cheese, dried mushrooms, fruit preserves, Belgian waffles, white truffle oil, balsamic vinaigrette etc. (you get the idea) should be able to post their reviews in a clearly defined, easily accessible area on this site.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Epicure
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 100 members
About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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