Ethnic Markets: City Olive

By Lisa Shames in Food on May 8, 2007 6:00PM

The theory goes that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Good thing Kathy Rose had a different plan. When faced with a family crisis — Rose lost her parents to heart disease and cancer — this former nurse took her passion for Europe and good-for-you food stuff and created City Olive, a cozy shop in Andersonville with a soft spot for olive oils.

Using her finely tuned bedside manner, Rose, an Andersonville resident for 22 years, sweet talked producers from around the world, resulting in a bounty of hard-to-find olive oils from Greece, France, Spain, Italy, Chile, Morocco and California, many of them award winners. Add to that infused vinegars, mustards, tapenades, sea salts and yummy exotic eats — think sausages from Spanish producer Palacios, gourmet crackers, Italian pastas and sauces, including ones from Dean & Deluca’s private label — and you have the makings for an impromptu feast (take a stroll to neighboring Fine Spirits for a bottle of wine and Bon Bon for some chocolates to round out the meal). Attention to detail can also be found in the interior design of City Olive. The store has an Old European feel to it, with a tiled terracotta archway, deep blue ceiling, wood floor and mustard-colored walls.

Can’t decide between the Greek olive oil in a cute blue-and-white tin and the one in a flask-shaped bottle? No problem since City Olive holds daily tastings — look for in-store dinner parties down the road — since customers should be able to try before they buy, says Rose. So, unlike a box of chocolates, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.

City Olive is located at 5408 N. Clark St., 773-878-5408. they're open from 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. seven days a week.