Olivaceto offers customers’ taste buds a trip around the world without ever leaving the west suburbs.
The shop, which opened nearly a year ago in La Grange, features 45 varieties of specialty extra virgin olive oils, gourmet oils and balsamic vinegars infused with various fruits and flavors.
Co-owner Josie Rivas-Garcia said the store initially concentrated on selling extra virgin olive oils from the Mediterranean region and California, but has added oils from North Africa, and Australia and soon will include a variety from Chile.
Combinations of the various olive oils and balsamic vinegars complement an array of cuisines, from ceviche to spicy stir-fries to french fries made decadent with truffle oil and Parmesan cheese, Rivas-Garcia said. The flavor pairings also transform pastas, salads, grilled meats and vegetables and even brownies, the owner insists.
The most popular combination is the Tuscan herb, infused with oregano, rosemary, marjoram and garlic, mixed with balsamic vinegar aged for 18 years, Rivas-Garcia said.
“It awakens the foodie in you,” she said.
Rivas-Garcia said the reactions of many visitors are curiosity about the products she carries and an initial reluctance to try them.
“They make faces when I ask them to taste vinegar, and then when they do, it’s like, ‘wow,'” she said. “Almost everybody who didn’t want to taste ended up buying.”
High-end aged balsamic vinegar is sweet and syrupy, unlike the sour taste people expect in vinegar, Rivas-Garcia said. When infused with crushed fruits or other flavors, such as coconut, balsamic vinegar takes on many more possibilities, she said. Balsamic flavors include strawberry, pomegranate, pineapple, dark chocolate and cinnamon-pear.
Nick Fanelli said Olivaceto’s products are worth the drive from Arlington Heights to stock up on flavored oils. He ordered online and stopped in to pick up bottles of Tuscan herb, garlic and truffle oil.
“It adds a bit of something different to food,” Fanelli said. “I got the truffle oil to put on fries with Parmesan.”
Fanelli said he was at a recent wine and beer tasting at Vino e Birra in La Grange, which also featured samples of Olivaceto’s oils and balsamic vinegars.
Community events and a booth each week at the La Grange Farmers Market have helped to increase exposure, the owner said. Prices range from $4.99 for a 60 milliliter bottle to $29.99 for a 750 milliliter bottle of extra virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar. Truffle oil costs $7.99 to $69.99.
Rivas-Garcia said she and her wife, Lucy, decided to open the specialty shop after stumbling upon a similar store during a vacation in Maine in 2013. The couple spent the next year traveling and researching distributors before they settled on a concept.
After living in La Grange for several years, the couple decided it was the perfect spot to open their business, Josie Rivas-Garcia said. They named the store by combining the Italian words for olive and vinegar, she said.
“The community has been wonderful,” she said.
Although Olivaceto is their first business venture, Rivas-Garcia said the partners brought a range of experience to the business. Josie Rivas-Garcia said she has worked in sales and Lucy Rivas-Garcia has a management background running companies.
The partners plan to open a second store Nov. 14 in Managua, Nicaragua, where Lucy Rivas-Garcia was born, and her cousin will run the store, Josie Rivas-Garcia said.
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But just as important as business acumen is the partners’ enthusiasm for their product, she said.
“You cannot sell something you don’t eat, drink or use,” she said. “You have to follow your passion and what you believe in for any work you do.”
In addition to how the various oils and balsamic vinegars enhance her cooking, Rivas-Garcia said she is sold on the health benefits.
Monounsaturated fatty acids found in all kinds of olive oil are considered a healthy dietary fat, according to doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Such healthy fat helps lower risk of heart disease and benefits insulin levels, but should be used in moderation replacing other fatty foods like butter, according to the clinic.
Rivas-Garcia said she intends to add several flavors of gourmet pastas and gift packages for the holidays, when business hours will be extended and listed on the store’s website.
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Location: 77 S. La Grange Road, La Grange
Phone: 708-639-4408
Website: www.olivaceto.com
Twitter: @olivaceto
Facebook: www.facebook.com/olivaceto