Hippocrates referred to olive oil as "the great therapeutic," which is why he could often be found gulping it down during suspenseful gladiatorial combat. Fight for a delicious meal with today’s Groupon: for $24, you get an Oil and Vinegar Tri Pak (a $47.99 value) at Queen Creek Olive Mill.
In the shadows of the San Tan Mountains, Queen Creek Olive Mill wrings premium olive oils from 16 varieties of sustainably farmed and pesticide-free olives. Customers can beef up a kitchen’s firepower with an Oil and Vinegar Tri Pak, ensconced in a handsome carrier sure to be the perfect centerpiece for a table or blow-up raft. The carrier holds three cooking standbys: Tuscan Estate extra-virgin olive oil (250ml), Italian dark balsamic vinegar, and Italian white balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy. After picking up the trifecta, shoppers can stroll through the Queen Creek Olive Mill marketplace, full of local gourmet foods, gifts, and stuffed olives for eating or mounting above a fireplace.
Queen Creek Olive Mill
Comfortably nestled in the shadows of the San Tan Mountains, owner Perry Rea and his family coax silken oils out of the olives they grow in their own groves. After more than 10 years of experiments, they finally settled on planting a few more than 16 distinct varietals, which thrive in the otherwise unforgiving Arizona deserts. Extending thoughtful care to each harvest, they avoid using any pesticides or genetically modified trees, employ water-conserving drip irrigation, and hand-pluck their olives at the peak of ripeness. Within 24 hours of picking, the staff then presses the crop in order to extract oils that taste as fresh as honey taken directly from a bee's pantry.
The fresh oils line the shelves of the mill's marketplace alongside imported wines and locally made goods. In addition to gourmet food items, the store stocks an extensive collection of Italian ceramics, works by local painters, and bath-and-body products infused with extra-virgin olive oil.
Queen Creek Olive Mill's oils also appear on the menu of del Piero, the facility's Tuscan-inspired bistro. Based on the Rea family's own recipes, each entree incorporates organic ingredients whenever possible, including locally sourced meats and herbs from the organic garden.