Shortly after I stepped into The Wild Olive, one of the people who worked at the shop came out from the back and asked me, apropos of nothing, "Do you like salad?!" I said yes.
He said, "I have something for you to try! Do you want to try it?! I've been perfecting it!" How can I say no to something so deliciously mysterious. So I said yes again. He darted to the back to get his enigmatic edible concoction.
I'm learning that, in general, in life, saying yes to new things is usually the correct answer. The man came back out carrying a tiny Dixie cup with a sample of raspberry balsamic vinegar and Meyer lemon olive oil. "Swirl it around and drink it down like a shot!" The man said. "It tastes like the most delicious salad you've ever tasted!" And wouldn't you know: the man was right! It turns out, homeboy used to work in a restaurant, and he loves to cook, too. As I was tasting the vinegary oil, homie told me about the origins of the vinegar and oil I was tasting, what proportions to use to make a vinaigrette, and how else I could use them (balsamic vinegar in a cocktail!). I ended up buying a bottle each of the raspberry balsamic vinegar and Meyer lemon olive oil, and both have been probably my best purchases of 2025.
All this to say: The customer service at The Wild Olive is exemplary. The people -- or more particular, this dude I encountered -- love food and have lots of recommendations for how to use the oils and vinegars in food and while cooking and baking.
You can also ask to taste any of the oils or vinegars in the shop. As many as you want! When you find one that you like, there are two different sized bottles to choose from: 250 ml and 500 ml. The variety of oil and vinegar at The Wild Olive is amazing, so you'll probably want to taste some before you commit.
There is also a section with gourmet goods, like pasta, tapenade, flavored salts, tinned fish and nuts. Plus, a refrigerated section with salami and cold San Pellegrino.
When I run out of my olive oil and vinegar, I will be making a trip back to Nashville to hit up The Wild Olive again. This is now one of my favorite shops in central Indiana. read more