Their olive oil shop has been open for a year, but any visitor to Mark and Rosa Marchi’s garden over the last few years must have already known of their love of Italian cuisine.
The Marchis – along with Katie and Scott Trostel, their daughter and son-in-law – are owners of A Twist on Olives, which opened in April 2013 at 20 S. State St., Ste. K.
The family can trace its roots back to Italy. Rosa and Mark have Italian ancestors, and Rosa was even born there. Her mother was born in the U.S. and moved to Italy.
“In Italy, we had our own olive groves, so I was raised on olive oil,” Rosa says.
It’s no Italian olive grove, but the Marchis’ garden is a sight to behold – and quite possibly the most eye-catching feature is the pizza oven, handmade four or five years ago by Mark with some help from the Marchis’ grandchildren.
The arch of the oven is made from a piece of concrete drain pipe that has been cut in half. It’s about 3
½ feet in diameter, with about 2 ½ feet of cooking space inside and a metal chimney coming out of it.
Granite tiles cover the arch, and a granite-covered cooking base rests above a wood fire.
“It looks like an igloo of sorts,” Rosa says.
And the oven isn’t the only place for cooking outside. A small kitchen – complete with a sink, a garbage disposal and bar seating – expands the options.
“The only thing that’s missing is a dishwasher,” Rosa says.
Because it takes the oven a considerable amount of time to heat up, the Marchis will often start steaks on the grill and then put them in the oven to finish them.
A patio, a fountain and a pergola covered with trumpet vines round out the constructed part of the yard. Because of the comfort and accommodations, it’s a popular place for family gatherings, and having all the cooking accoutrements outside means more time with guests.
“Italians love to be outside, especially me,” says Rosa.
The Marchi garden was part of the 2012 WesterFlora tour, so flowers are part of the equation as well – hydrangeas, in particular, are well represented.
“I’ve got (hydrangeas) in the front, the side, the back, everywhere,” Rosa says.
As the hydrangeas fill up the Marchis’ yard, a wide selection of olive oils and vinegars fills up the shelves at A Twist on Olives. In addition to the standard varieties, the store carries an array of flavored oils and vinegars – from gourmet white truffle extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate-quince balsamic vinegar to organic red cayenne chili extra virgin olive oil and aged dark chocolate balsamic vinegar.
Rosa was only familiar with standard olive oils, so when Katie introduced her to some of the more unconventional flavors, she suddenly saw a business idea to keep her interest following her retirement. She has been a teacher and a stay-at-home mother, and worked at a design firm. She still does some design work for Mark’s contracting business, G. Marchi & Son LLC.
All of A Twist on Olives’ olive oils are imported from both hemispheres depending on which is in the midst of olive-growing season. The northern hemisphere is in season now, and countries of origin for current products include Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Tunisia. The balsamic vinegars come from Modena, Italy.
Rosa is forever encouraging customers to try different combinations of oils and vinegars. Aged blackberry-ginger balsamic vinegar with organic Persian lime extra virgin olive oil is one winning combination; organic Tuscan herb extra virgin olive oil with Sicilian lemon balsamic vinegar is another.
She also likes to find new ways to use each item, such as aged black cherry balsamic vinegar in unflavored Greek yogurt and blood orange extra virgin olive oil in chocolate brownies.
Garth Bishop is editor of Westerville Magazine. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
The WesterFlora committee is still seeking gardens for the 2014 tour. Visit www.westerflora.com for details.
