BIG HORN OLIVE OIL COMPANY: BIG TASTES IN WEST RENO'S MAYBERRY LANDING

As much as I like to try new restaurants, I also love to cook for my family and friends.  So it’s always a treat to find specialty food shops with products that are both versatile and virtuous.

Big Horn Olive Oil Company, 3888 Mayberry Dr. in West Reno, is a great place to sample and purchase premium cooking oils and vinegars.  (UPDATE!  Big Horn Olive Oil has added a second location in South Reno, at 75 Foothill Rd.!)

The potential health benefits of extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar are considerable.  They are major components of the Mediterranean diet.  Vinegar is said to lower blood sugar while extra-virgin olive oil is said to improve cardiovascular function.  And these ingredients can be mixed in a myriad of  marinades, salad dressings and dipping sauces.

It’s fun to experiment with oils and vinegars at Big Horn Olive Oil.  Tester bottles and small plastic cups are placed in front of each item.  You can taste them to your heart’s content.

Employees at Big Horn Olive Oil are helpful without being overbearing.  I arrived knowing that I wanted to buy some Italian herb-infused olive oils to serve with crusty bread and pasta —and I was able to find those products on my own. 

But I had some questions about the fruit-flavored balsamic vinegars.  A clerk invited me to try some peach balsamic vinegar combined with fresh basil-infused olive oil.  She noted that this would be refreshing as a salad dressing.  I agree!  I believe this combo would work well on fish or chicken, too.

Next, the clerk offered a taste of  the store owner’s “go-to” salad dressing:  Milanese Gremolata-infused olive oil with black cherry balsamic vinegar.  Wow, this was different — and delicious.  It might be good on pork or beef kebabs, as well.

I bought four mini-bottles ($5.95 each) — two oils and two vinegars — to get my family’s approval before stocking up on more. 

Larger bottles of most olive oils and balsamics at Big Horn Olive Oil are priced at $11.95 (200 ml), $16.95 (375 ml) and $29.95 (750 ml).

Gourmet oils such as almond, walnut and sesame sell for $14.95 (200 ml) and $23.95 (375 ml).

Truffle oils at Big Horn Olive Oil cost $19.95 for a 200 ml bottle of black or $24.95 for a 200 ml bottle of white.

And now a few requests to sweeten the shopping experience at Big Horn Olive Oil:

First, please make water readily available for customers!  Some of the oils and vinegars deliver a wallop when sipped “straight-up.”  I wasn’t the only taster who did some sputtering when I swigged a bit too much out of the little plastic cup.  (UPDATE!  During my visit to the new South Reno store, I noticed that water was out on the counter for customers to sip as needed.)

Also, recipe cards or cheat sheets with suggested pairings of oils and vinegars could be offered to customers.  There’s an info sheet taped on the counter but it’s hard to see if the store is busy.  As an eco-friendly option, that info could be posted on the store’s Web site.
(UPDATE!  Recipes are now listed at www.bighornoliveoilcompany.com)

Other than that, I’m pretty sure I’ll be back at Big Horn Olive Oil as we head into the grilling season. 

And located in the same little shopping center, Mayberry Landing, there’s a yogurt shop, a wine shop, an Austrian bakery and a Mexican restaurant.  Foodies could spend a few hours here, snacking and gathering inspiration for their next dinner parties.

By the way, I was momentarily baffled by the name Big Horn Olive Oil until I remembered that the desert big horn sheep is Nevada’s official animal.

For more information about Big Horn Olive Oil Company, call (775) 870-1500 or visit www.bighornoliveoilcompany.com .