Soffritto Lunch Unique Fare Deli

Gord Fontaine hands a customer a little cup of amber liquid and encourages her to slurp it to appreciate its peppery taste. Fontaine is the owner of Soffritto Oil & Vinegar Bar, an Italian food market specializing in high-quality gourmet oils, vinegars and other palate-teasing delights. He also aspires to become a certified olive oil sommelier, and he’s got a keen enthusiasm for sharing his extensive knowledge about olive oil and other products carried in his two Calgary shops.

His Canyon Meadows location — the other is in the Calgary Farmers’ Market — hosts a steady stream of customers purchasing take-home meals such as fresh Italian pasta dishes and vacuum-sealed beef brisket to streamline suppertime, or grabbing a fresh sandwich-of-the-day to lay into on their lunch breaks.