Ta-Ze is a shop with a mission. That mission is olives: olive oils, stuffed olives, olive soaps, olive spreads, olive-related kitchen accessories, olive-related cookbooks.
OK, there’s balsamic vinegar, too–but that’s only because it goes with olives.
“There is a huge appreciation of extra-virgin olive oil in the U.S.,” said owner Didem Tapban, who has just opened Ta-Ze (TAH-zay) on the third floor of North Bridge Shopping Mall on the Magnificent Mile.
Naturally, Tapban is counting on Chicagoans being particularly appreciative, because Ta-Ze is the company’s first store outside Turkey, where there are shops in Istanbul and Izmir. The franchise is owned by Taris, a Turkish olive-oil firm.
The shop’s oils–all 25 of them (and counting)–are the stars here, and all hail from Turkey and nearby coastal regions, Tapban said. (Taze means “fresh” in Turkish.) Each oil is made from a specific region’s olives, not unlike single-estate teas or varieties of wine.
“Every single region and climate brings out a different taste and different density of olive oil,” said Tapban, a native of Istanbul.
Oils will start at $8. Olive-friendly kitchen accessories, such as dipping bowls, will range from $20 to $100.
In addition, a tasting bar featuring a minimum of four oils will let customers sample the products. And for those who want to learn while they’re tasting, a plasma TV will air cooking and harvesting information.
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Ta-Ze, 520 N. Michigan Ave., third floor, 312-527-2576. Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.
