Mark’s Score 9.2
I rediscovered Una Bella Salute recently at their new location on S. Main Street. Before COVID the store was located on Broad Street. When they closed the Broad Street location, I had assumed that they were just one of the many companies that folded during COVID. Several weeks ago, I entered Berlin via Rte. 113 via S Main Street. I parked my car and there across the street, risen from the dead, was Una Bella Salute!
Una Bella Salute is a specialty food store specializing in extra virgin olive oil and gourmet balsamic vinegar. They work directly with distributors and growers providing over 46 varieties of high quality, olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Both their oils and vinegars are shipped in bulk and kept in stainless steel “fustis,” from which they fill bottles right there while you wait.
When we lived in Sydney, we had a friend who was famous for her salads. People would ask her, “how come my salads never taste as good as yours?” She freely revealed her secret, “high quality olive oil.” So let us be clear from the start, you are not going to find high quality olive oil in your local super market. They only sell mass market medium grade oil (at best). If you have never bought high quality olive oil you do not know what you are missing. Comparing what you buy in the supermarket with the oil you buy at Una Bella Salute is like comparing a Honda Civic with a Mercedes. They are not really even the same product.
Olive oils come in many different styles and flavors. Una Bella Salute only sells premium extra virgin olive oil, meaning that it is cold pressed, and not treated with heat or chemicals. Premium differs from ordinary extra olive oil in that it has the lowest acidity of all the olive oils. The resulting oil has a superior taste that contains the fruity peppery notes of the olive. They sell varieties of varying taste, but all are of high quality. Personally, I prefer the oils that have a slight grassy taste but I also enjoy the oils that are lighter than air with practically no taste at all.
In addition to olive oil, they also sell aged balsamic vinegar, using the same fustis system used for the olive oils. There are only three things you need to know about balsamic vinegar, 1) it must come from Modena Italy, 2) it must be aged a minimum of 12 years for “affinato,” and 25 years for “extravecchio,” and 3) if the price doesn’t make your eyes water, you aren’t paying enough. Balsamic vinegars come in two varieties, white and dark, and they come in multiple flavors. I am a traditionalist I prefer dark unflavored vinegars
There are whole sections of this country where you cannot buy quality oil and balsamic. We are fortunate that Una Bella Salute sells both. That being true, why would you waste good money on ordinary olive oil and vinegar?
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