Oil &Vinegar

I love pre-dinner munching. Although they rarely get a headline role, hors d’oeurves are often some of the most creative parts of a menu. Darling little triangles of spanokopita, juicy bacon-wrapped figs, light and savory cheese soufflés. These make a gorgeous array of goodies.

These are also the most satisfying of the frozen hors d’oeurves offered over the holidays at Costco. I learned a long time ago to say “YES” when someone offers to bring something to dinner, even when that someone is a giant marketing behemoth. If Costco wants to go to all the trouble to make complicated and fussy bites of deliciousness, why would I say no?

But I also learned a long time ago that simplicity delights. I love chunks of warm, crispy baguette dipped in a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The sweetness of the vinegar, the tang of the oil – everything you need, all in one bite.

So I was delighted last week when I stumbled into a little store called Oil & Vinegar. The shop is chock-full of culinary gifts like herbs, mustards, fondue chocolates, flavored pastas, as well as the usual fun array of kitchen gadgets and serving pieces. But what sets it apart is the secret so cleverly hidden in the store’s name.

Oils! And vinegars!

Oil & Vinegar offers a wide array of oils from around the world – olive oils from Tuscany, Morocco, Greece, Spain, France, South Africa; blood orange extra virgin olive oil, bonsecco extra virgin olive oil, oils with basil, truffles, lemon; even a delicious tangy grapeseed oil from a supplier right here in Washington.

The vinegars are just as varied – strawberry balsam, elderflower apple lime, cassis orange, fig balsam. The list is endlessly creative. A table full of samples in the middle of the store allows you to mix and match flavors hitting all corners of your tastebuds. It’s all dispensed from luminous amphoras mounted on a wall spanning the width of the store. You can buy one of the cute containers they sell, and have them fill it with the oils or vinegars of your choice. Or you can bring in your own bottle. Very alluring.

But guess what came home with me? Chocolate balsamic vinegar. Not pomegranate balsam vinegar, not passion fruit balsam, not date balsam crème. Chocolate. It was an amazing taste discovery. By itself it is delicious – a murky cocoa flavor swimming in the intense wine-dark sea of vinegar. Ok, maybe not quite that epic, but it was darn good. The flavor really sang, however, when the staff at Oil & Vinegar handed me a sample of chocolate balsamic vinegar mixed with grapeseed oil. It had a bright, spring-like fruitiness, a sunnier flavor than olive oil, and the cocoa tones blended quietly into the happy combination.

This little shop happens to be in Spokane, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from my home, so I won’t be popping in on the spur of the moment. But I will be back. Oil & Vinegar is a franchise business that originated in the Netherlands. It hasn’t made very deep inroads into the US yet – there are only nine stores here right now – although it’s such a fun concept I imagine we’ll be seeing more soon. Fortunately, they offer some of their more popular items online at http://www.oilandvinegarusa.com/. Worth a visit.