Cool Hunting

The salubrious products found within olioteca Le Gramole are sure to please even the choosiest gastronome. Personally selected by owners Francesca and Norma—a duo who met while picking olives next to each other at a mill in Italy—the gourmet shop offers a plethora of refined goods on a street famously occupied by butchers during medieval times.

The standout shop includes an array of primarily local Ligurian specialties typical of Mediterranean cooking, such as pesto, organic olive oils, fresh pastas and rich sauces. While difficult to choose just a few, we've picked some products we feel are exceptional both for their quality and charm.

In the guise of modern packaging, the nearly 100-year-old, family-run business Oliveri began with porcini mushrooms in the Piedmont region and now seasonally cultivates a vibrant assortment of fruits and vegetables, like chili peppers stuffed with capers and anchovies and olives stuffed with goat cheese.

Made using the traditional Ligurian recipe, the pesto Genovese is DOP certified (Denominazione di Origine Protetta), validating its ingredients and denoting that a strict set of rules was followed in its production. Also certified, but in this case for organic authenticity (Ogliarola Salentina), are the olive oils from the Caposella Farm in Lecce. Yielding small quantities of two varieties, both with intense earthy aromas, owner Elisa Petrucci has won numerous awards for the oils, including the prestigious Five Drops award from the Italian Sommelier Association.

Nestled in the hills of the Dolomites is Alpe Pragas, a company founded by two friends who realized that the climate of the Alps was perfect for cultivating fruit. Originating locally, today, Alpe Pragas' delicacies are adored from Vienna to Japan, respected for their high fruit content (70% in most products) and full flavor.

Unfortunately, Le Gramole does not sell their products online, but if you contact the delightful owners Francesca and Norma, they will be happy to help you.

Le Gramole
Via dei Macelli di Soziglia, 69/r
16123 Genoa, Italy map
tel. +39 010 2091686