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There's a shop in Pensacola that's been open close to a year but I hadn't gone there yet. Last week I stopped in and was AMAZED!! It specializes in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Very little else. I sampled until I couldn't stand it any more. The oil and vinegar were in large containers with a spout and you took your little tasting cup and helped yourself.

I've used balsamic vinegar from the grocery store for years but never understood what the fuss was about. Now, I know. That 18 year old vinegar is good enough to gulp down!! Plain and every flavor you can think of some and even a few you'd never guess, like espresso balsamic.

Same goes for all the olive oils. But, I didn't like the white truffle olive oil.

I only came home with herbes de provence infused olive oil and black cherry vinegar, but I know where they are now and I'll be back. Oh, they also have lessons using these items, too. Very reasonably priced so I think I'll be going to some of them.

Oh, the place is called the Bodacious Olive.

There's a place like that in KC -- it is fun to go there and taste and there IS a difference between olive oils and vinegars. And I think it is great to be able to taste before you can buy.

Martha

That sounds interesting and fun, something I'd enjoy doing. We have a cheese house nearby that you can sample every cheese they make but I didn't find any that interested me enough to purchase.

Fla Farm Girl - My world just keeps growing smaller and more limited. An olive oil and vinegar shop! That't just not fair! We're lucky to have a Starbuck's inside Target...
Two hours away I can get to Penzey's, Williams Sonoma, Trader Joe's, oriental grocery and a gourmet deli with condiments galore. I have to keep a list and check my stock supplies before I leave; schedule an appointment or two, lunch date and dinner with relatives to warrant the day's road trip.
How big of a city do you live in to support a shop like that? Obviously, 35,000 wouldn't work.

Lurah -- lucky you to have a Target! And a Starbucks! I understand what you mean -- about the road trip for we do it too. A trip to the city means several MUST HAVE stops such as Costco and TJ and Penzeys (several times a year) but we're fortunate that the speed limit on the highway there is 75 which means that it's now 1 1/2 hours away instead of 2!

Martha

Disgust - I have a Brookshires and a couple of dollar-type stores. My whole county doesn't have but about 13,000 people in it!

Y'all just keep on bragging...and I'll pout.

However, I have the internet at my fingertips.

Lurah, I don't actually live in that city. Its about 21 miles from my house to the end of the bridge that goes into there. I'm stuck about half way between two small cities and have to drive 20 miles to get to either one of them!! We do have some things in our local community (Publix and Winn Dixie, restaurants and such), but for real shopping its to make the trek, which I don't do very often. The city of Pensacola has something over 50,000 residents, but the metro area has several hundred thousand.

Here's their website.

http://www.bodaciousolive.com/olive/

We are very fortunate to have Rishy Studer and her husband as residents of our area.

While I know those of you living in smaller communities have some wonderful advantages like clean air, low traffic and good neighbors, I learned long ago that I really am happier living in a major metropolitan area because of the easy availability of so many things. At least, many items are available online these days.

Oh no! I'll take the 45 miles one-way trip to do some major shopping once every month or so over actually living there under somebody else's armpits!

I have 10 acres and the only complaint about my neighbors is their dogs.

When I lived in town I had their dogs barking at me from across the fence - their cats leaving stinky deposits in my planting boxes - their kids knocking the window out of my son's Mustang - the smell of mari-juana floating across the breeze when the pothead son smoked outside - the awful salmon pink color next door reflecting onto my charcoal grey making it look like puke - traffic, at certain times of the day I just stayed home.

I do so much internet shopping now from the comfort of my home paying strict attention to reviews and Made in America. Saves my time and my fuel $s. I definitely do not miss big town living and have no desire to live in a city.

Thanks all for sharing the websites for tea, oils & vinegar and so on; I bookmarked them into my favorites, I'll just have to try harder at online shopping.

I grew up on the farm, 200 acres so we were by ourselves in peace and quiet which I still miss. But it would be nice if the local big box stores could order their own specialty products instead of just taking what corporate sends to them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a true "department store" like Paris' Galeries Lafayette. Each vendor has their own staffed "stall" on the order of a farmer's market but permanent.

quote:

Originally posted by Lurah:

I grew up on the farm, 200 acres so we were by ourselves in peace and quiet which I still miss. But it would be nice if the local big box stores could order their own specialty products instead of just taking what corporate sends to them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a true "department store" like Paris' Galeries Lafayette. Each vendor has their own staffed "stall" on the order of a farmer's market but permanent.

Yes Lurah, it would be so nice to grow up like that!! 200 acres! I live on 3/4 of an acre, a lot for Florida but not nearly how you grew up!

If you are looking for online oil and vinegar sources, the "Oil & Vinegar" franchise has online shopping available from its retail stores if there isn't one near you. Of course you can't do much tasting online! Here's a link if you want to check it out. We went once to one of them in western MT and were as impressed as Florida Farm Girl was.