It's been a few years since Tom and Laura Brown traveled through Europe on a bit of a cultural excursion. It was their visit to Italy, where they were introduced to the world of fresh olive oils, that a local business venture began to take shape.
Tom, an accountant, and Laura, a school teacher, had often talked about opening a business of their own. After a demographic study and industry research, the active Bentonville couple decided that the time and place was perfect to open Ramo d'Olivo Olive Oil, Vinegar & Wine Bar, at 217 S. Main Street, near the heart of the city.
Now, two years later, not only has their establishment become of popular gathering place for locals, often with live music, but they have also added a deli.
Ramo d'Olivo provides a rare niche for Northwest Arkansas with a tasting room of up to a dozen varieties of fresh olive oils, balsamics, vinegars, as well as about 50 different wines by the glass.
"We opened the olive oil and balsamic shop, then it kind of grew into having a wine bar, and we eventually became this unique destination," Laura said. "A place that we would want to go hang out in.
Olive oil is a fruit juice obtained from olives, and like wine, have different varietals that appeal to various tastes or use. All of the oils and vinegars are grown organically in California, specifically, the Central Coast
"What makes our olive oil unique is that I buy directly from the actual farms, small batches of freshly produced olive oils," Laura said. "Our olive oils are the freshest you can buy. It's not like your supermarket brands where it's mass-marketed and sitting on the self."
The oils are stored in large stainless steel tanks called "fusti" in Italian. The Browns bottle it themselves for distribution, and any of the oils can be sampled before purchasing.
High quality olive oil is produced by using only olives, and extracted without excess heat, solvents or chemical treatments -- which is why the Browns purchase the olive oils directly from the farmers and millers which produces the highest quality available. The flavored olive oils are made with the actual fruit being cold-pressed into the oil during the production process -- without infusion -- making it very high quality oil.
"The different oils come from different varieties of olives," Laura explained. "The olives are native of different countries, although they are all grown in California.
"We have Spanish olives, Greek and Italian. The flavored oils include lemon, basil, jalapeno, and the most popular, garlic. Any recipes that you would use an oil or butter, you can replace with olive oil, which is a more flavorful and healthier alternative."
Ramo d'Olivo also includes a 45x65-foot outdoor garden, with tables and chairs, and live music every Wednesday and Saturday from 7-9 p.m.
Along with the vast wine selection, Arkansas craft beer is also served until 10 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Wine Down Wednesday includes live music by Dave Tessier and offers all glasses of wine for $1 off, or $4 off a bottle.
The Ramo Deli was added last June, offering patrons the freshest sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch.
"I like to think of it as a New York deli that meets California fresh," Laura said with a big smile. "Because we make really fresh sandwiches, fresh soups and salads every day. All of our salads and dressings are made with products from our shop, including making our own salad dressings."
Open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm, the deli is managed by Kim Muldoon, and offers a specialty sandwich menu or customers can build their own. The soup menu rotates, with the likes of white chicken chili, potato soup, chicken orzo, minestrone, and a variety of vegetable recipes. They also make their own humus.
The deli also carries some gourmet grocery items, such as pasta sauces, jams, relishes and Tontitown pasta.
Ramo d'Olivo has an after-hours bar menu with finger foods and meat and cheese plates. Monday night is Spaghetti & Meatballs Night, with Tontitown pasta and made-from-scratch sauce. It is $9 per bowl, or $12 with a beer and $14 with a glass of house wine.
The deli can also be used for private events after hours, including wedding receptions, rehearsal gatherings, wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays or corporate groups. Ramo d'Olivo also caters events with large box lunches, and can include anything on the menu.
They also teach classes for making salad dressings.
"Our goal is to really utilize our community and become a part of our community, as far as for culinary and cultural, and be that local 'hang-out' place where people can meet," Laura said. "We Feel like we are providing a place, particularly with our garden and wine bar, that people can gather and sit, and just hang out. I guess we are just a gathering place. We have a cozy ambience."
Ramo d'Olivo can also can ship to anywhere in the U.S., for those who want to send family and friends bottles of premium olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
For more information about Ramo d'Olivo, call (479) 715-6053, or visit their website at RamodOlivo.biz.
The Wine Bar and Olive Oil Shop are open Monday-Thursday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The deli hours are Monday-Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
NAN Dining Guide Cover on 04/14/2017