Old Town Oil in Chicago

I traveled to Chicago and visited the Old Town Oil in (not surprisingly...) Old Town! The store was founded in 2007 by two brothers, and they advertise as having "direct relationships with small batch producers rather than purchasing through a distributor." It was a weekend in March, possibly a little on the cold side, and a 45 minute walk from where I was staying. Old Town itself (and the walk) was lovely - it was my first time in Chicago, and I was taking it all in. I passed several groups of young men that seemed like fraternity brothers, and I wondered if there are fraternity houses nearly?

The store itself is lovely. You can see it approaching on the street by way of the sign, and a little set of stairs leads to the entrance. This was taken standing on the stairs.

The inside was quiet, and staffed by a young man. I imagine this picture is often photographed for the sign -- "Unattended Children will be given an espresso and a free puppy." 🐶️

I asked him to choose his favorite EVOOs and package them up for me in a small box. He made suggestions, and started working quickly! The process was straight forward. He filled up a small bottle for each, directly from the silver fustis

and added the labels, tops, and vacuumed plastic around them by hand and a small machine. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the store while I waited. It felt both homey and sophisticated.

While he was working, a set of two couples (two men and two women) entered and I watched them taste different varieties using the little cups. It was interesting to see wildly different reactions to the same oil. They came and left without purchasing anything, and I can imagine that is a frustration (and reality) of owning any kind of tasting store. It made me excited to do the same with a group or a friend, although I am much more likely to come home with a small set of golden treasures. I was very pleased with my final box!

The bottles are not darkly tinted glass. The assumption must be that they will be consumed quickly. Let's jump into the review! I consumed them not in Chicago, but when I got home.

• Hojiblanca: This oil had a nice flavor. The guy at the shop said it would have a peppery finish, and it did not. It was sweet, and almost fragrant.
• Picual: The most interesting thing about this one is that it came out, and it's slightly green! It was my first green oil, and unexpected. I was tickled because it was St. Patrick's Day during my visit, and they dye the river green. It was ever so slightly peppery, but not impressively so. The aftertaste was strange, and I am not sure I ever came to liking it. It was almost grassy, and the aftertaste you get when you blow up a balloon. To be clear, it was not bad, but possibly not my favorite. I think I ultimately mixed it with others to damper it.
• Greco: This oil had a different flavor, and when I first tried it (after the Picual) it was an "Oh, wow!" This one was actually a bit peppery, and a dark golden yellow. It was very fresh. I will need to get it again to better unwrap the flavors.
• Signature: This oil was a little peppery, and it almost had a subtle flavor of anise. I enjoyed it.

I ate them very quickly... and hey, the bottles were small! 😋️

The one challenge with the bottles was not being able to get the oil out from the bottom. I could not turn them on their heads because the caps were slightly rounded, and they would fall over. 🙃️

I liked them all (and would like to try more green colored oils) and I did not find any of them strong in the way the young man set my expectations. I loved traveling to the shop and will definitely return for another sampling for my next visit to the area.Thank you, Chicago! You are lovely, even in the cold. ❄️