Kerrytown in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Kerrytown.

By Paula.

Last Summer some dear friends of ours, Paul and Julie Lichtenberg, told Walt and I about an amazing store they discovered in Traverse City, Michigan, called Fustinis, that carried only oils and vinegars. They brought us a small bottle of truffle oil as an example of the exceptional quality of their products. Walt and I were thrilled that they thought to bring us such a nice souvenir, but wondered how a store that sold only oils and vinegars could be so exciting.

Fast forward about 6 months. I had gone to lunch in downtown Ann Arbor, with my friend Rachail. Afterwards we thought we would go to check out Kerrytown, a cute little shopping area by the Farmers Market. We hadn’t been there very long, when we stumbled upon the very same store Paul and Julie had told me about. We walked into a world I had no idea could exist. A store filled with the most amazing and exciting olive oils and vinegars.

The owner, I suppose, gave us a “tour” of the shop by way of explanation and then proceeded to give us samples of individual vinegars and oils, the likes of which I had never even imagined. Then she proceeded to combine flavors and orate on the various possibilities in foods and in recipes that excited the imagination.

I couldn’t stand it, I had to buy. I bought an 18 year old balsamic vinegar for Walt and a Meyer Lemon oil. My friend bought me another bottle of Provençal Herbed Vinegar as a Christmas gift.

Tasting all the vinegars in these cute little tasting cups reminded me of a time when Parry was about 3 or 4 years old. We had a collection of flavored vinegars in our kitchen that intrigued him and he asked to taste them. Walt proceeded to give Parry a taste of all the various vinegars which Parry loved. Knowing my family would really appreciate and enjoy the shop, I determined to bring them all there as soon as everyone was home for the holiday. We couldn’t wait for Walt, who had to work during business hours, so I brought the kids. Just as I expected, they were as blown away as I was. I asked the proprietor to give them the nickel tour. Their taste buds were as tickled and tempted as I thought they would be. We ended up with two more bottles, Basil oil for Corey and Lavender Vinegar.

We now have a very extensive collection of oils and vinegars and hopes for many new food experiences together.

Now, I suppose a purist would balk, and perhaps this will only be a trend, but for now it is a fun taste sensation that gets the creative juices flowing.