Athenolia EVOO @ Olive & Well, Oak Park

Athenolia EVOO @ Olive & Well, Oak Park

When Olive & Well opened up maybe a year or two ago, I scoffed. Who the hell, I thought, is going to make a trip to this small commercial district, find a place to park, and make all that effort just to get some olive oil (excellent versions of which can be found just down the street at Whole Foods, which offers lots of other stuff, of course, and parking)?

Recently, though, I stopped in to get some holiday gifts and found an oil I liked quite a bit: Athenolia. It’s rough and rude, which is the way I prefer olive oil; it has extra virgin smoothness with a peppery bite on the back of the tongue and a green-ness that I find pleasant.



I use this as a dipping oil because I find it quite satisfying without any additional spicing.

Olive & Well has a wide selection of oils and vinegars held in stainless steel tanks for tasting. I am usually not a fan of designer oils and vinegars (e.g., oil with Meyer Lemon, vinegar with pomegranate), but I have to admit, some that they sell here are damn tasty.

If you’re in the area, O&W is worth a stop.

Olive & Well, Inc.
133 N. Oak Park Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois 60301
P: 708.848.4230
F: 708.848.4232
http://www.oliveandwell.com/

I am wondering if this concept is a franchise. The olive oil place on Wells has the same steel drums as a place I visited in South bend with a similar setup: flavored balsamics and a wide variety of oils. All poured and sealed to your liking (both places use the same bottles and sealer.

Anyone know what the selection is like at Olive & Well compared to the place on Wells Street?

I tended to agree with David's assessment, until I tried their balsamic vinegars. I am now addicted to the fig and the pomegranate vinegars. Every day I have my veggies drizzled with one of these and they are truly fantastic. Smooth, intense but not ovewhelming with a pleasant tartness of the fruit. I purchased a different type of fig balsamic from Caputo's, last week (b/c I haven't been able to make it to Olive and Well), but it is truly terrible (can't remember the brand). Harsh and with a bad aftertaste, it made me realize how fantastic the vinegars are at Olive and Well.
LO

Was in Olive Oil store on Wells today. They also had Athenolia.

I inquired if it is a franchise and he did not directly answer the question.

Great spot nonetheless!

Hello

Olive and Well is not a franchise but an independentley owned
and run store offering the largest selection of the finest, freshest
single cultivar, varietal olive oils in the country! There are 45+ very
similar stores throughout the country who are offering the same selection
(including Athenolia) of fine olive oils and vinegars. Each is
exclusively supplied by,Veronica Foods/Delizia Olive Oil Co.
in Oakland Calif. 510-535-6833

Here are a few links of some of the other stores offering the same products.
If you are interested in opening one, give us a call. We charge not fees and offer
over 50 different extra virgin olive oils and flavored Balsamic vinegars and oils.

theoliveoilplace.com theolivebar.com theolivemill.com
theolivecellar.com and the olivetap.com