The start of a New Year means resolutions about healthier and happier lives. What better way to start down that path than with a stop at Carter & Cavero, where nearly 30 varieties of olive oils and vinegar line the shelves? It would be hard to get 2012 off to a more delicious start.
Carter & Cavero’s location in Summit is its newest, with other stores sprinkled throughout New Jersey in Red Bank, Princeton, and Long Branch. The company’s Summit branch is overseen by Karen Fulton, who has made the transition from paralegal to olive oil expert in only a few years.
Karen is one of five owners for Carter & Cavero, with two of the owners based in Spain. The diversity of the owners ensures that customers are exposed to some of the best olive oils from around the world including Italian, Spanish, Greek, and California varieties. Each oil and vinegar is accompanied by a written description, making it easier for customers to match their taste preferences with the variety they think they would enjoy the most. Carter & Cavero goes beyond the extra-virgin olive oils that line supermarket shelves with its selection of olive oils infused with flavors like blood orange, lemon, garlic, and chipotle. Its vinegars also encourage customers to expand their taste buds with flavors like blueberry, pomegranate, fig, and white balsamic. Samples are provided of every olive oil and vinegar, allowing customers to make informed purchases.
While olive oil may be the store’s focus, Carter & Cavero also stocks other quality food products including sea salts, tapenades, crackers, and tea. The store also sells hand-painted Terra cotta cookware, with the artist stopping by once a year to provide pottery demonstrations. The owners do their best to engage customers by also offering private tasting parties and professional olive oil tastings. Customers may be intimidated when they first set foot in Carter & Cavero, but thanks to the guidance of the store’s employees it would be rare to find someone who doesn’t walk out with both a full shopping bag and a new appreciation for olive oil.
Carter & Cavero
http://carterandcavero.com
11 Beechwood Road
Summit, New Jersey 07901
(908) 522-0100
Michelle Stavrou, the Union County regional editor, has hop-scotched across the Garden State, growing up in Bergen County, then moving to Hoboken (after a stop over in Queens) before finally settling in Cranford. After too many years stuck in tiny kitchens Michelle finally has a kitchen that can accommodate multiple batches of cookies. Her husband and her co-workers are probably even more thankful than she is. Michelle’s baking adventures are documented here: jerseygirleats.blogspot.com.
