The Best Thing Right Now…
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
The gourmet food purveyor Oliviers & Company is known for its large collection of olive oils, and this year, it is releasing 33 oils as part of its New Harvest line. Among them is Les terroirs de Volubilis ($30 for 16.8 oz.), produced by a 24-year-old grower named Youssef Gardam. After attending medical school, he appeared on a Moroccan reality television show for entrepreneurs, and won enough money to open an olive mill there. Mr. Gardam uses Moroccan picholine olives for his Volubilis oil: The texture of the oil is not as heavy or dense as supermarket olive oils, but it still has enough weight to coat the tongue. The company compares the flavor of the oil to roasted almonds, but I tasted notes of grass and also a little edge of sweet fennel. It’s a great lightweight oil for cold summertime salads, especially Caprese salads with buffalo mozzarella. When I combined the oil with the fresh cheese, the mingled flavors were outstanding, with the taste of the flowery olive oil soaring over the salad.
Oliviers & Company, Grand Central Terminal, 101 E. 42nd St. at Lexington Avenue, 212-973-1472.