Savory Pantry

I amazes me that every time we come here, a large amount of the patrons are waiting on tables for the Pancake Shop next door. (Hey folks, let me give you a HUGE tip, drive 4 minutes down Central to Phil’s Diner. You’ll pay ½ the price, and, get 2X the amount!). But alas, back to the Savor Pantry. Expensive, yes. But, very hard to resist a few of the items especially some of those wherein they have tastings available. If you visit HS, and don’t come here, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Heck, even if you don’t buy anything, at least sample the offerings.

If you are a sauce person and love to cook, then this is the place for you. Honeys, jams, curds, salsas, etc… if you can dip, dunk, or spread it then they have something tasty for you. Plus free coffee and samples with friendly service.

My wife and I stopped in for a looksee today on a whim. We’d walked by this place a number of times without more than a glance, and we rarely stop in gift shops, and boy am I glad we were «adventurous» today.
I am a self proclaimed connosieur of Extra Virgin Olive Oils. I was perusing their collection of EVOOs when a bottle I had just glanced past screamed at me, «HEY, PICK ME UP!» Lo and behold… it was a bottle of Titone! Now for those who have never heard of Titone. It’s won the best tasting EVOO for both 2011 and 2012 in the Flos Olei annual Olive Oil competition. These bottles are not easy to find in the USA and The Savory Pantry stocked it! Amazing. Of note, they also stock Morgenstar… another notable mention in the Flos Olei.
This store also carries pickles, jams, and balsamics. The staff is very friendly and helpful and knowledgeable. They described the Titone EVOO as grassy with a peppery finish. SPOT ON!
I am thinking about stopping by again to pick up the bottle of Morgenstar I didn’t get the first time around!
The only thing I would criticize them on is their prices. It is sort of steep. The bottle of EVOO cost me almost $ 50.

I’d give the extra star if the price was a little lower, but that is not that type of place, I guess. Seriously, I am impressed with the quality of the items I found here. Especially the olive oil, since that’s what we’re into. They had Nunez de Prado. That was my unicorn in Spain. I didn’t think I’d manage to hunt down a bottle of it there *in the area that it’s created*…To find it in my home state, in a small town in AR… of all places… I was a bit dumbfounded. My husband typed in the other oils they had into his droid to see what came up. Turns out they had another very excellent oil, but from Italy this time. The Nunez de Prado was about twice the price that we paid for in Spain, I expect this to be the case with the Titone. But we weren’t going to find a better price online or in store in the States… and I sure wasn’t going to risk not finding it in Italy.
Anyways, excellent store. I’m beginning to realize that I’ve sorely underestimated Hot Springs.

Samples, free coffee, and air conditioning keep people lingering. And the wait for The Pancake Shop next door bring people in. It’s okay.