Olive Grand

Fantabulous little store all around. Warm and welcoming ambiance, including great music. Top notch and extensive selections of olive oils and vinegars, all available to taste before purchase at the cool tasting bar. Specialty items for storing or serving olive oil and vinegar, like great decanters, made by local artists for sale throughout the store, as well as other food centric items and specialty foods. Perhaps best of all, an engaging and knowledgeable owner who made the visit and oil and vinegar tasting fun. He even suggested «let me mix something for you» options, like Blood orange infused olive oil and fig infused balsamic vinegar or pear infused champagne vinegar and kalamata olive oil. (Both combos highly recommended by us.)
I mentioned to the owner that we found his shop through a Unilocal review. He didn’t know he was on Unilocal.So, thanks to the FTR reviewer who put this on our radar. And as heads up to others, I note there are a couple of other recent five star reviews which are inexplicably behind the filter. Take a look at them and you see the five star experiences all around.
First cold pressed olive oils, some organic, are amiable in varietals (like Sevillano, Kalamata, Arbequina) and blends (like Tuscan) all come from California. If you’re a foodie or cook, you know how variable is the taste of olive oil, just like wine, with some more fruity and some more peppery. There is something for every use here.
Olive Grand’s plain balsamic vinegar was great and so were the infused varieties, like fig and pomegranate and blueberry. Most of their vinegars are sourced from California as well, but couple of them (as in the yummy pomegranate) come from an unlikely location — Wisconsin as I recall.
Prices seemed very reasonable compared to other retail sources of oil and vinegars, and some here are unique and hard to find elsewhere.
We left the store with oil and vinegar both and we have this on our «repeat visit» list for the next time we’re in Eugene.
TIPS:
1) THE PERFECT GIFT; Olive oils and vinegars make great gifts for any occasion from a host gift for a dinner invite to a thank you from weekend visitors to birthday or holiday gifts. Not everyone drinks wine or even eats chocolate (imagine) but nearly everyone cooks at home and these are a perfect fit gift. (I’d be happy to pass along my snail mail address to anyone who wants to send some to me. :-))
2) OLIVE GRAND SHIPS: With 1) in mind, good to know that they ship anywhere.
3) ACCESSIBILITY: Parking is on street. Level in entry and the store is on one level.

I am embarrassed that I only now have stopped in to experience Olive Grand. Seemed like I always noticed it when I was driving by, thinking ‘I really should go in there sometime’, and never got around to it. Well, I finally went in, looking for stuff to go with some gourmet-​ish Christmas presents, and had the best time!
It’s a beautiful store, and a place that any aspiring foodie ought to love. They actually have a tasting bar, so you can try their amazing array of flavored oils and vinegars before buying. (Including Chocolate Balsamic, which several friends will be receiving shortly! Yum!) I was looking for fancy salts, (which in the past I have had NO luck finding in Eugene), and found some wonderful ones, along with lovely little tins and jars of whole and ground spices and herbs. Teas, sipping chocolates, dried pastas, accoutrements.
Best, the owner was engaged and very knowledgeable and pleasant, without being intrusive. What a gorgeous place! I went in thinking gifts, and am now wishing I’d spent some money on myself. Next time…