Eataly has been the top reason for a must-take NYC trip and I luckily got there this month, finally! Now to share the magic of Eataly: what it is and why you need to go! This place is what I consider to be Italian heaven: fresh ingredients, the best products for every price point, hand made foods… basically all the best parts of Italy. This place is a mecca for those looking to cook, learn about, or eat Italian food. It took me forever to wander through here, aisle after aisle and restaurant after restaurant.
Eataly is a massive marketplace in the heart of Manhattan giving New Yorkers & visitors a taste of Italy. Eataly is the creation of Italian-American restaurateurs Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Matticchio Bastlianich, and the founder behind the gourmet food and wine market (Eataly) in Turin, Oscar Farinetti. The 50,000-foot-space is more than just a supermarket with restaurants; it is an energetic marketplace, a place to taste and take home products that inspire the rustic coking of Italy, and a place to learn about the country, the trade and their products. Eataly is the “heartbeat of Italy.”
The complex includes multiple restaurants (an Italian steakhouse, a Neapolitan pizzeria, a gelaterie, a microbrewery, and year-round rooftop beer garden etc.), a cooking school, aisles upon aisles of fresh produce and Italian products, and the ability to buy the ingredients of a dish you just ate in one of their restaurants. There is also a travel agent on hand who will help you arrange a trip to Italy to visit food and wine producers. If you can’t quite commit to the flight right away, there is a bookstore, wine store and houseware store where you can purchase goods such as espresso makers from Bialetti to help you in living la dolce vita.
My favourite part about the place is probably the meat and cheese area. When I walked into Eataly, the first thing I encountered was the Salumi & Cheese restaurant, where boards were filled with house made meats and cheeses. The taleggio was calling my name! If I lived in New York, I honestly don’t think I would be able to shop anywhere else. The selection at Eataly is out of the world… and with full 4 tier cases of different parmesan or proscuitto, how can you go wrong?! The produce is incredibly fresh, with seasonality being key for availability, and the variety at each station is astonishing. There are so many different mushrooms and onions, I just could not stop staring and exploring! I never wanted to leave! The coolest part I find about Eataly, is that it is not just a tourist trap; New Yorkers actually shop there! A tip: I went on a Saturday, and the place was packed! The meat and cheese restaurant bar was already full at 11am with people eating pasta and pizza. I sampled an Italian sandwich of crusty baguette and house cure prosciutto: simple and perfect, classic European.
Bringing Italy’s “Eataly” to North America was a fabulous idea. Created to inspire fresh, good and passion filled eating is, IMHO, necessary to combat the ever problematic epidemic of salt and fat laden fast food. This general concept is something I feel strongly about and I think promoting this idea by encouraging everyone to visit Eataly, to taste, experience, and eat! The more people become engaged the better, and it’s impossible not to begin, or deepen, your love affair with food or Italy while in Eataly.
Located: the Toy building at Fifth Ave. between 23rd and 24th in New York City
200 5th Avenue
NY 10010, United States
(646) 398-5100
Subway: 23 St
[Images courtesy of Emma and Gastronomichael]
Related posts:
This is definitely going on my To Do list. It looks and sounds absolutely wonderful! I love Italian food – my Italian friends can’t mention the next family pasta dinner or I’m knocking on their door. I don’t think I’d be able to spend just one day there, I’d want to take a look at and try everything I got my hands on. I wouldn’t be surprised if I wound up booking that flight…
It’s a absolute must as a culinary destination! Simply cannot be missed in NYC, much like NY cheesecake! Aleida, I had a chance to visit your website and I’m very intrigued by your non-for profit organization! Would love a chat, what’s your twitter?