Some ideas pop up at the right time and place. When those ideas become reality, the results are magical. Take Olive Chattanooga, for example.
“Olive Chattanooga? What’s that?”
That’s the same thing I said when I found the business while searching online for new restaurants in town. But as I soon found out, Olive Chattanooga is not a restaurant; rather, it’s a fine oil and balsamic tasting room.
“A fine oil and balsamic tasting room? What’s that?”
Again, same thing I said. Located on Woodland Avenue, across from Walgreens on the North Shore, Olive Chattanooga carries a variety of cold pressed extra virgin olive oils and balsamics, nearly all of which are imported. That would be enough to get the heart of any chef beating faster, but it’s not the best part – the ability to taste every single one before you buy anything is.
It works like this: Park on Frazier or Woodland Avenue and then make your way to the space above Bone Appétit Bakery. As you reach the top of the stairs, turn into the long, spacious room to your left, where several tables topped with tall bottles line the walls. Within these bottles is liquid enchantment.
Olive Chattanooga offers 40 varieties of fine oils and balsamics, including fused and infused oils from Chile, Argentina, Spain and other countries. Co-owner Randall Stappenbeck II explained the difference between fused and infused oils to me – something I will leave you to experience – and then insisted I try something.
He led me to a table on which a few dozen bottles sat in front of several fustis – 15-liter stainless steel containers. Each bottle was made of UV protected glass to safeguard the contents from light and capped with gold foil to identify it as oil. The Persian lime caught my eye, so I grabbed a small plastic cup, took hold of the sample bottle, which had a self-closing spout on top, and poured.
Although I was tempted to offer a toast, I simply lifted the cup to my lips and swallowed. Sure enough, the distinct taste of lime had been infused into the oil, giving it a light, refreshing taste. Persian limes lack the bitterness of key limes, so the oil went down smoothly. I imagined using it as a bread dip or drizzling it on fish.
Next, Randall took me to a table of dark balsamics. Wrapped in burgundy foil, none of the balsamics at Olive Chattanooga contain sugar or preservatives. Instead, they are aged through a painstaking process that can involve great lengths of time, just like wine.
Before Randall poured me a sample of raspberry, I picked up a shaker of Ethiopian coffee beans and took a deep sniff. My smeller cleansed, I took the cup and prepared to throw it back like a shot.
Randall stopped me.
If you’ve read this far, I assume you’re interested in visiting Olive Chattanooga. Great! But take my advice: When tasting a balsamic, use a slow, deliberate approach. Lift the cup to your nose and smell the aroma, and then raise the cup to your lips and let the balsamic drop slowly onto your tongue – not the back of your throat. If you don’t follow these steps, you could be the only person in the room hacking up costly drops of liquid.
I did as instructed and avoided the “WANG!” that can happen when something tart hits the back of your throat. It was delicious. I pictured my wife pouring the fruity indulgence over ice cream, cheesecake or salad. Randall said the balsamics mix well with their aged balsamic vinegar.
Randall then took me across the room to the table of white balsamics, which were capped with silver foil. I picked peach, and I liked how easily it slipped down my throat. Like its darker cousin, it would go great on desserts, or it could be used as a substitute for peach syrup in recipes.
The final table I visited is located at the far end of the room, with the shops on Frazier Avenue visible through the window behind it. If you plan on buying something off this table, you’ll want to bring more money. There were only a few selections on the table – including a Cask 25 balsamic. According to Randall, “cask” describes the process used to age the balsamic and the number is the years it was aged. For more than two decades, the balsamic in the bottle from which I sampled was moved from wood cask to wood cask, with only the best portion of it being transferred to the new cask each time.
In my experience, the more expensive something edible is, the more of an acquired taste it is. I’m sure Olive Chattanooga sells some of the best cask balsamics available, but I’m going to be sticking with the less expensive, but still incredible, options.
A side note before moving on: Randall said his profit margins on his costlier products is less because he wants to keep the prices reasonable. So, while a bottle of white or black truffle oil might run you 40 bucks, it could cost more.
I thought I was done, but I was wrong. One of the defining characteristics of Olive Chattanooga is its creative vibe, which it draws in from the streets of the North Shore area and then makes its own. While Randall and his wife Brooke will be there to answer your questions, you can browse the oils and balsamics on your own and even mix and match flavors as you go. To show me what can happen when you use your imagination, Randall poured a small amount of Persian lime oil in a cup and then walked me over to the white balsamics and added some piña colada.
Wow.
I enjoyed the other products I tasted, but the blend of Persian lime and piña colada was out of this world. Randall suggested brushing some on shrimp after throwing them on a grill. I thought about how good it would taste on pork chops. That application might not sound good to you, but that’s the point of Olive Chattanooga – go in and make it your own.
Randall and his wife are using their space in a clever way. While there’s plenty of product on hand, Olive Chattanooga doesn’t LOOK like a retail store. Rather, the tables share the walls with a modest selection of seating, a calming water fountain and some decorative flairs, and the center of the room is open. This would allow you and a few others to sample, huddle and talk, and then move on to sample something else. The earthy colors on the walls and wood floors add to the relaxing ambience, while the industrial feel of the tables and fustis are similar to what you find in modern kitchens. The balance of themes is nicely done.
Olive Chattanooga has been open less than one month, yet word is quickly spreading about the unique “fine oil and balsamic tasting room” on the North Shore. It’s not a franchise, and there’s nothing else like it in the city, which means Randall and Brooke have succeeded in bringing a new experience to a city already brimming with innovation. So, in closing, I’m going to go ahead and give that toast: I raise my little plastic cup of Persian lime and piña colada and wish Olive Chattanooga many lucrative years of bringing its fine products to our city.
Just remember my advice: Lift, sniff, sip.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.