Who knew that olive oils and vinegars could make a gal so happy? I began cooking, I mean, really studying the art of cooking about twenty years ago. That was probably my first realization of what separated the good cooks from the great cooks. Olive oil was at the top of that list. There is a difference between the olive oil you might find at the grocery store and what you find at a specialty olive oil store.
The good ones – you’ll find those at The Robust Olive.
Jill Cady opened The Robust Olive store after another local olive store went out of business. She started researching the health benefits of olive oil after being diagnosed with the autoimmune condition, celiac disease, which makes people gluten-intolerant. She wanted her olive oils to possess the highest number of polyphenols, which are the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties present in high quality olive oils.

That’s why all it takes is one trip to The Robust Olive, and you’ll never go back to basic olive oils or vinegars.

Jill Cady stands outside of her new store, The Robust Olive.

I picked up some Arkansas tomatoes at the Heights Corner Market Saturday along with some Buffalo mozzarella. Yes, they are delicious on their own, but adding the raspberry balsamic vinegar and the black truffle sea salt from The Robust Olive made it the best thing I ate over the weekend.
I could spend a couple of hours tasting all of the olive oils available. The popular balsamic vinegars are the traditional dark and the peach white balsamic. Want a dark chocolate balsamic vinegar? (You read that right.) It would be delicious with chipotle to make a great meat marinade. How about the rosemary infused olive oil or the Tuscan herb one? There is even a butter infused olive oil!
The Robust Olive is a great place to go and browse oils and vinegars. You will improve your cooking, that’s for sure, but also reap the health benefits of high quality olive oils.

The flavor-infused oils and balsamic vinegars at The Robust Olive can be sampled throughout the store.

So, whether it’s a marinade, an entree, a salad, side dish or even dessert, high quality olive oils and vinegars will make a difference in your cooking that everyone will notice. In fact, Jill Cady and her staff want to prove that point to you. Go to The Robust Olive (or order by phone) between now and August 15, and she will take 15 percent off if you tell her you read about her in AY Magazine.
Click here for more of Lisa’s Favorite Things.