Day 94: Beyond The Olive

In December, I was selling jewelry at Chiat Day's annual holiday bazaar, and located conveniently behind my table was the olive oil man.  I got to overhear a little of his spiel as he told people about his products, and his shop in Pasadena.  Eventually I got really hungry and sauntered over for some samples.  Being sort of a freak for olive oil, I was really impressed by the quality of the samples I was greedily gobbling up.  But what really blew me away was the aged balsamic vinegar.  I have yet to venture out to Pasadena to Beyond the Olive, but I have become a die hard fan.  This is the mission statement (they have a mission statement - it's so Jerry Maguire!) found on their website:


Our Mission The mission of Beyond the Olive is to provide our customers with the knowledge to accurately assess the quality of extra virgin olive oil and provide them with access to the greatest extra virgin olive oil that California has to offer. We accomplish this by providing education on the production, varieties and attributes of extra virgin olive oils and allowing consumers to taste the subtleties in a comfortable, inviting atmosphere. 


I have ordered a few different things from Beyond the Olive's website.  I enjoyed reading about Chip and Crystal Reibel, the owners.  They have a work ethic, and a philosophy, which is mainly about insuring high quality from local, Northern California olives.  I actually learned a lot about olive oil - how to store it (cool, dry place, tightly sealed).  Best not to buy in massive quantity, because it really needs to be consumed while it's fresh -- it can actually go rancid.  Also, there is a long-winded explanation of what extra virgin means.  Next time I find myself in Pasadena I can't wait to check out this couple's fantastic shop.  For now I am enjoying the hell out of my 25 star (formerly known as aged 18 year) balsamic vinegar.  I dip toast in it, make salads with it - today it was excellent drizzled on a turkey arugula sandwich with parmesan and tomato.  Yum.  Thanks Chip and Crystal for elevating the condiments around here.


http://www.beyondtheolive.com/