Gourmet & Healthy in Moorpark

The old ways still reign supreme at il Fustino. The store’s interior is lined with rows of stainless-steel containers called fustis, all of which hold flavor-infused and extra-virgin olive oils and aged vinegars. Used in the Mediterranean for centuries, fustis keep oils fresh in bulk or can be used to store a stack of unread Mediterranean diet books. As shoppers browse fruity oils and vinegary vinegars, staffers kick open the taps to dispense samples of them as requested. The fustis empty newly purchased liquids into bottles that can be brought back for refills, long after their contents liven up salads, pizzas, and water-balloon fights.

Owner Andi Newville works alongside her daughters at Viva Oliva, stocking the shelves with more than 20 flavors of gourmet olive oils and 20 varieties of balsamic vinegar imported from Italy, Greece, Spain, and France. Olive oils add zest to entrees, infusing them with garlic, blood orange, and spinach, while balsamic vinegars flavored with black currants provide rich flavor. Customers can sample gourmet liquids before buying full bottles and preview suggested recipes such as barbecue rib glazes with honey ginger white balsamic and toasted sesame oil. Newville also stocks bath and body products containing skin-soothing olive oil and gourmet groceries such as balsamic pesto, pinot pomegranate jelly, and black truffle sea salt fresh from Mediterranean oceans of black truffles.

In more than 1,112 stores worldwide, Edible Arrangements' staff¬¬––known as fruit experts––arrange pieces of premium fruit in stunning bouquets for all occasions. The experts customize their patrons' orders to suit any event, dipping fruits into semisweet or white chocolate to complete the arrangement. They select their chocolate-coated morsels from a range of fruits such as pineapples, granny smith apples, and juicy strawberries that—unlike fruit products sold by mummies—don't contain any preservatives. For birthdays and anniversaries, they personalize bouquets with gifts such as plush teddy bears and mylar balloons.

Where Ojai farmers planted olive-oil trees in the 1880’s, Ojai Olive Oil’s family-led staff eventually refilled the sun-drenched valley with more than 2,000 new olive trees imported from Italy, France, Greece, and Spain. Located in the midst of a giant olive grove, the family barn contains an olive mill and tasting room. From November to January, workers hand-pick the ripened fruits and cart them into the barn, where the olives are processed within hours to prevent oxidation or fermentation. Using a cold-pressing technique, the staff creates the oils, then bottles and labels the final product to be sold at the Ojai Farmer’s Market, poured at the tasting room, or shipped off to vendors nationwide.

Each Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors arrive at the olive grove's barn to enjoy samples of the farm's products before embarking on a walking tour of the grove and facilities. While strolling verdant grounds that invoke images of a rustic Italian landscape, guides tell the story of the grove's history and its varieties of olives.

In more than 1,112 stores worldwide, Edible Arrangements' staff¬¬––known as fruit experts––arrange pieces of premium fruit in stunning bouquets for all occasions. The experts customize their patrons' orders to suit any event, dipping fruits into semisweet or white chocolate to complete the arrangement. They select their chocolate-coated morsels from a range of fruits such as pineapples, granny smith apples, and juicy strawberries that—unlike fruit products sold by mummies—don't contain any preservatives. For birthdays and anniversaries, they personalize bouquets with gifts such as plush teddy bears and mylar balloons.

Traces of Californian sunshine emanate from breakfast plates and lunch sandwiches crafted with seasonal, organic, and free-range ingredients by the artisanal chefs at Charlie's Pantry. An all-day breakfast menu treats early birds and late risers to gourmet dishes such as Tuscan-style eggs dappled with organic spinach and roasted garlic. The panoply of lunchtime options includes 19 signature sandwiches that compile ingredients such as marinated chicken, Italian-style cold cuts, and heirloom tomatoes in edible monuments to organic farming. An unassuming interior features white walls, polished concrete floors, and a simple picnic table at which patrons can dine with friends or challenge nemeses to salad speed-eating contests.