Here’s a confession: My go-to move on nights when I don’t want to make dinner is to get some French bread and goat cheese, and generously dip the pairing into a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s delicious.
And, my takeaway from my conversation with Kevin Aboud, sales and brand manager of Island Olive Oil Company, is that my guilty pleasure is fine — as long as I use the “liquid gold” found at Island Olive Oil Company. Aboud explains that fresh extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), which is available at the establishment, is packed with antioxidants, which supports heart health. But, as olive oil sits, it begins to lose such properties.
“That is why we constantly bring in the freshest that we can get,” says Aboud.
The shop at Ward Village (Ward Centre) has been in existence for about two and a half years. It’s the brainchild of Dana Bergeman, who owns construction-consulting company Bergeman Project Group.
“He’s a big foodie,” Aboud explains, “and he wanted to provide people in Hawaii with quality, fresh olive oil.”
Island Olive Oil is stocked with more than 50 varieties of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, all of which are available for sampling (pieces of bread included), to make sure you’re getting what you want.
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- Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil (small $16.95, medium $24.95, large $34.95)
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- Island Olive Oil’s Kevin Aboud and Tina Klemetsen
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- Lilikoi Chili Pepper Sea Salt, Maui Honey and Hot Lava Sea Salt ($9.95 each)
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- Customizable gift basket
“We break it down and help people find what they are looking for,” Aboud says.
Olive oil flavors include Cilantro and Roasted Onion, Organic Basil, Organic Garlic, and Ruby Red Grapefruit. Balsamic vinegars include Aged Red Apple, Aged Tahitian Vanilla, Black Mission Fig, Blackberry Ginger, and Raspberry.
Bottles are priced starting at $16.95. In addition to the standard accompaniments for bread or their use as salad dressings, these various oils and vinegars also complement a wide range of foods, including ice cream, fruit salad or red meat.
A vast selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars are sourced from around the world and the mai-land, but Island Olive Oil also has a number of local products, including Maui Honey ($9.95) and various flavors of Hawaiian sea salt.
“We want people to be able to come here and get everything they need to make their dinner party awesome,” Aboud says.
And if you’re a guest attending a dinner party, Island Olive Oil also offers customizable gift baskets filled with bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, pour spouts, roasted peppers marinated in extra virgin olive oil and olive-oil-based soaps.
Island Olive Oil Company
Ward Village (Ward Centre)
1200 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 412
388-8912
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Honolulu, HI 96814
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