I went to downtown Frederick Saturday evening for the monthly First Saturday celebration and discovered a new store, Lebherz Oil & Vinegar Emporium, or L.O.V.E. for short.
Saturday was, in fact, the store’s grand opening. Inside were easily 30 plus varieties of olive oil and vinegar all for the tasting. L.O.V.E. is essentially a tasting room for high-quality, flavored olive oils and vinegars.
I tried coaxing my husband (the chef in our house) inside but he elected to wait outside with our son while I explored this new Market Street shop. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by a very welcoming woman who explained that I could taste any of the items on tap and then bottle my favorite product(s) myself for purchase.
Self-serve! Just my style.
I wandered about, checking out the flavors on the labels, and found myself towards the back of the store in front of a row of mostly fruit-flavored balsamic vinegars. I was immediately drawn to the dark chocolate flavor. I picked up a small, white, paper tasting cup and poured just enough to taste. I took a sip and immediately rushed the cup outside to my husband.
“You’ve got to try this!” I told him. “It’s amazing.”
The Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar was dark and smooth. The vinegar taste was strong but not overpowering and the chocolate flavor came as a subtle aftertaste.
My husband agreed with me about the vinegar and then went inside the store to check it out for himself while I stayed outside with our son.
He came out a fan of the Persian Lime Olive Oil so we bottled both the olive oil and the vinegar to take home. We stopped at the grocery store to buy Tilapia, which we cooked in the olive oil that night. It added just the right amount of lime flavor to the fish. The next day, I used the olive oil to make guacamole. And it, too, came out amazing.
I have no idea what I’m going to use the vinegar for. I might just drink it straight with a straw. It’s that good.
Discover L.O.V.E. for yourself. Visit www.loveoliveoilvinegar.com
Latest Comments
Love L.O.V.E.
Posted by Rachel January 08, 2011 17:00:42
Just Say YEAH!
Posted by Tom Coleman August 12, 2010 00:10:52
Amazing Store
Posted by Laylah July 12, 2010 15:34:53
Great idea!
Posted by Shannon Morgan July 07, 2010 11:28:06