Olive oil (Armando Manni and/or other premium oils)

[thegreek]

Just ran out of my current stock of Mcevoy Ranch Nuovo Olio/Eraly Harvest olive oil. I am now passionate about robust, unfiltered, grassy/peppery olive oils. I have read good things about Manni oils from Tuscany and was wondering if anybody could recommend it or any other premium/boutique oils.

Thanks,

Jack

[Napkin]

I'm not up on imported oils, but I too was all about McEvoy Ranch until I tried BR Cohn's Estate EVOO while visiting the winery. Really sharp and green.

Link: http://www.brcohn.com/

[bob oppedisano]

You'll find (somewhere) posts about Manni (Thomas Keller's favorite), but at 50 Euros per 2 100-ml bottles available thru their web site, I've had to pass. That works out to $300/liter.

Try Capezzana, Laudemio, Badia a Coltibuono among the relatively well-distributed Tuscans. Olio Verde and Ravida from Sicily will give you a Southern take on green and peppery; there are many similar oils, always estate bottled and often bio-organic, from Puglia as well.

[Sam D.]

Manni also requires a minimum purchase of five dual packs of 100 ml bottles. They ship only by air express courier on Mon-Wed from Italy. So I would assume that shipping would add at least another $250 to the cost.

[Leigh]

I believe the case cost is all inclusive, shipping in special containers, fed-ex, 3 day delivery.

[Just Larry]

Manni seems to be a product that is made for the American market. All of the print on the bottle is in English. I am not saying that is a good or bad thing. The Italian oils, truffles and basalmico that I usually buy have all or mostly Italian writing on them. I did manage to get a taste of Manni at Le Sanctuaire and it was a good, fruity, assertive oil but it would be hard to call it best in the world, most expensive in the world for sure.

[rien]

Many upscale grocers have olive oils open for sampling. Try to taste as many as possible. I've found that - surprise, surprise - the oils from a given region tend to couple well with the cuisine from that area. This isn't pseudo-science/mumbo-jumbo; things that grow in proximity share the same soil, water, microclimate, pollen, etc. In other words, the growing conditions are similarly and mutually beneficial. That said, you may want to sample around ... if you cook a lot of fish, milder/fruitier oils from coastal regions usually work well. Oils from Provence are on the expensive side, but very good. Oil from Catalan - made from arbequina olives or blends including picual and others - is a favorite of mine. Goes well with the kind of robust/earthy flavors you find in Catalan: roasted peppers, eggplant, ground almond and hazelnut pastes, onion cooked for hours until deep brown, chickpeas, etcetera.

I've found that it's best to buy premium oils from a quality grocer with high turnover - if the oils have sat there on the shelf for a long time, flavor will have sapped away. Though not fragile by any means, olive oil only gets worse with age and mistreatment.

rien

[samgee]

I use "L'Estornell", an organic arbequina olive oil from Catalonia available at Williams Sonoma for $20. Very low acidity, .3%.

[Leigh]

There is a reason that Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Jean-George, et al all use Manni Olive - it is simply the best in the world. The flavors are explosive and subtle at the same time. I order it directly online and split the shipment with friends that way the cost is not too painful.

I think that the most interesting way that I tasted the Manni Oil was at the French Laundry where the Manni Oil - Per Mio Figlio was warmed slightly and from a minature sauce boat, the oil was drizzled on to a thin wafer of chocolate, which then melted a small hole into the chocolate and then displayed a bowl of housemade ice creams. Amazing display and wonderful flavors.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to approach one of the restaurants to see if they will sell you a bottle of the oil just to try it.

Here in Los Angeles,

I know that it is used by Vincenti Ristorante ph# 310-207-1207 and Melisse Restaurant ph# 310 395-0081.

It is also sold in a cook shop called Le Sanctuaire ph# 310-581-8999 located in Santa Monica- they sell it in boxes of two.

[bob oppedisano]

Never having tasted it, I can't comment on Manni's oil; if it's your favorite, fine. I'd hesitate, though, about claiming any single food product as the bets of its kind in the world: is there even, say, a best single Bordeaux or Barolo, much less a best single wine?
That said, if you're using oil such as this as a condiment, on its owm, like a very aged Balsamico, then price really is not much of an object.
If it's for a broader use, then, well, it's a different story entirely, for me, anyway.

[Boskos (The Greek)]

Jack thegreek?
Forget the restaurateur/chef choices - they ultimately are "bottom line" folks who sauté in rather pedestrian oils and use "quality" when a nose might happen by. Pasolivo (www.pasolivo.com), a blend of Frantoio, Leccino, Lucca, Moraiolo, and Pendolino olives, from Paso Robles is number one - hands down!!! Not an Italian, Greek, Spanish, South African, Argentine, North African, Chinese oil that can compare. A perfect 5-5-5 oil! And no, I don't have a financial interest - merely willing to pay the freight for true quality.

[thegreek]

First things first, I was named after my paternal grandfather (big surprise, huh?), "Iackovos"; who was born on the island of Tinos in the cyclades.

Secondly, thanks for the reco. I really have a hankering for some great oil. We just moved and I can honestly that there are no less than three artisinal breadmakers within a mile...........and I am out of oil worthy of their excellence.

Jack