A Taste of Italy

Nestled behind Park Avenue is a hidden gem and mini oasis. Step behind the iron gates and you’re transported into a quaint courtyard that houses The Ancient Olive.

Last week we stopped by for a visit and after sampling real olive oils I’ll never go back to the Publix brand. The Ancient Olive houses over 60 different types of olive oils, a handful of balsamic vinegars and exceptional local gourmet food and condiments.

Before our visit I was clueless to the complexity and care required for high quality olive oil. Most people avoid cooking with olive oil and opt for butter, but once you taste these flavors you’ll toss your butter sticks. Most of the olive oils here are imported from Italy. Before arriving, each variety is evaluated and confirmed as the world’s highest quality as set by their UP international rating scale. The shop houses a number of olive oil flavors created by crushing olives and whole fruits such as blood oranges and Baklouti peppers. The flavors are natural, plant derived and will radically change your cooking and marinades.

During our time here we tasted a mix of flavors including Herbs de Provence olive oil (my favorite) and Espresso Balsamic. The best part of the tasting was combing the infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The combinations are endless and can be used for everything from salads to pancakes and even homemade popcorn. The Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic and Blood Orange olive oil was incredible and such a great alternative to balsamic vinegar dressing, which turns boring after a number of salads.

After indulging in layers of flavor we moved to the gourmet food side of the shop. I was thrilled to see SO MANY local food artisans like Bungalow 23’s drink mixes and Fat Cat’s hot sauces. We also sampled carrot cake jam and beer jelly and now I’m officially over grape jelly. The Ancient Olive is a treasure trove of flavors and we are hooked! Next time you’re on Park Ave, head north and start your collection of authentic olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Your kitchen (and family) will thank you. The Ancient Olive is located at 324 North Park Avenue in Winter Park’s Hidden Garden.