TRENDS
On Tap at LeRoux
Specialty Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars
by Karla Araujo
Back in the 8th century BC, the Greek epic poet Homer referred to olive oil as “liquid gold,” while Italians eagerly ingested vinegar as a medicinal potion and savored it as a prized beverage.
Today, at LeRoux at Home in downtown Vineyard Haven, foodies are celebrating the “all things kitchen” store’s new olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting cart that features two dozen of the intricately flavored products.
According to Manager Karen Lodge, reaction to the culinary cart has been overwhelmingly positive. “Once customers try the olive oils and balsamics, they keep coming back,” she says. “And they make perfect holiday or hostess gifts.”
The concept had proven successful in LeRoux’s Portland, Maine, store, so owners April and Michael Levandowski decided it was time to indulge the Vineyard. They launched the tasting cart in mid-summer, and it's been winning converts to the centuries-old Mediterranean way of dipping, dressing and cooking ever since.
Fueled by the national trend toward healthier eating and global cuisine, Vineyarders are enthusiastically stopping in to sample Tuscan Herb extra virgin olive oil (great for bread dipping or adding to marinades), Blood Orange olive oil (perfect for searing or dressing seafood), or Leccino, an Italian import with a “grassy taste up-front and a peppery finish,” according to Karen. Balsamic bestsellers include Summer Peach White Balsamic (a fresh addition to salads and veggies, or a unique topping for fruit), Black Cherry Balsamic (delicious with duck or pork loin), and 18-Year-Old Balsamic, the store’s top-selling item (add a touch to marinara or pour over strawberries). Chocoholic alert: don’t miss the new Dark Chocolate Balsamic, the ideal complement to ice cream.
According to April, the oils and vinegars are imported primarily from Italy and Tunisia. And, while some may be a bit of a splurge, she points out that the number one seller is a relative value. “We’re selling the 18-year-old Balsamic at a good price, and it’s an easy way to enhance almost any dish. I add it to meat, fish, my marinara, berries and – ice cream.”
All of the oils and vinegars are available to taste in small paper cups. Sampling, in fact, is encouraged. “It’s the best way to find your favorites,” Karen says. Sold in reusable 375ml bottles, customers are invited to return with their clean, dry containers for savings on their refills. And, special mix-and-match four-packs are offered for the holidays so you can customize gifts to the palates on your list. LeRoux at Home will even package and ship.
LeRoux at Home is located at 62 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0030
Today, at LeRoux at Home in downtown Vineyard Haven, foodies are celebrating the “all things kitchen” store’s new olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting cart that features two dozen of the intricately flavored products.
According to Manager Karen Lodge, reaction to the culinary cart has been overwhelmingly positive. “Once customers try the olive oils and balsamics, they keep coming back,” she says. “And they make perfect holiday or hostess gifts.”
The concept had proven successful in LeRoux’s Portland, Maine, store, so owners April and Michael Levandowski decided it was time to indulge the Vineyard. They launched the tasting cart in mid-summer, and it's been winning converts to the centuries-old Mediterranean way of dipping, dressing and cooking ever since.
Fueled by the national trend toward healthier eating and global cuisine, Vineyarders are enthusiastically stopping in to sample Tuscan Herb extra virgin olive oil (great for bread dipping or adding to marinades), Blood Orange olive oil (perfect for searing or dressing seafood), or Leccino, an Italian import with a “grassy taste up-front and a peppery finish,” according to Karen. Balsamic bestsellers include Summer Peach White Balsamic (a fresh addition to salads and veggies, or a unique topping for fruit), Black Cherry Balsamic (delicious with duck or pork loin), and 18-Year-Old Balsamic, the store’s top-selling item (add a touch to marinara or pour over strawberries). Chocoholic alert: don’t miss the new Dark Chocolate Balsamic, the ideal complement to ice cream.
According to April, the oils and vinegars are imported primarily from Italy and Tunisia. And, while some may be a bit of a splurge, she points out that the number one seller is a relative value. “We’re selling the 18-year-old Balsamic at a good price, and it’s an easy way to enhance almost any dish. I add it to meat, fish, my marinara, berries and – ice cream.”
All of the oils and vinegars are available to taste in small paper cups. Sampling, in fact, is encouraged. “It’s the best way to find your favorites,” Karen says. Sold in reusable 375ml bottles, customers are invited to return with their clean, dry containers for savings on their refills. And, special mix-and-match four-packs are offered for the holidays so you can customize gifts to the palates on your list. LeRoux at Home will even package and ship.
LeRoux at Home is located at 62 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0030