6.30.2011

An Afternoon in Eataly

Amy writes:

A few weeks ago, my mom took me on a Girlfriend Getaway tour to New York City. Between shopping and lunch in the Flatiron District, we spotted Eataly, Mario Batali's Italian food mecca on Fifth Avenue. Our tour did not allow much time, but we had to go in! We managed to sneak into the Eataly wine shop where mom picked out six bottles of Italian reds and had them shipped back to CT for our anniversary gift. See, we were engaged in Italy, and to celebrate, we had a case of special Italian wines shipped to us, so it was a thoughtful and very fitting gift. Mom and I grudgingly headed out the door to rejoin the tour, but had every intention of going back to Eataly someday soon.

That day came, for me at least, when Chris and I went into the city for an overnight this week to celebrate our ninth anniversary. In town for a mere 36 hours, we spent two of them gawking, hungering, shopping, lusting, and reminiscing in Eataly. I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to Italy six times, two of them with Chris, and the food has always been the highlight of the trip. That said, if Italy is unattainable, on a culinary level at least, Eataly is the next best thing.

Every meat and cheese we ever tried in Italy was there, ready to be tasted and/or purchased. The fresh-made mozzarella (of which we were given a complimentary tasting) had the perfect briny flavor and soft texture that we've only had in Rome and Tuscany. The variety and freshness of the vegetables on display was worthy of the Campo di Fiori itself. The fish market's offerings were plentiful and stunning. We didn't even count the different types of salt, there were so many.Each display was a marvel of colors and textures, even the inedibles. In addition to the various market spaces, there are also several spots to grab a taste - of wine, gelato, panini, pastries, and more. There is even a steakhouse inside Eataly! We only shopped, but here are some scenes from our excursion for you to enjoy until you are able to make the trip yourself.

A great selection of cheeses

Giant wheels of parmigiano reggiano

Imported pasta of all shapes and sizes

Bright summery dishes

Salts from around the world

Tomato to-mahh-to

This is just the mushroom display



Vegetables


More vegetables
And even more vegetables!


Scampi


Fresh snapper


We never knew Chris had a garlic named after him!

Eataly on Urbanspoon

11 comments:

Mike@ The Culinary Lens said...

I had a great experience exploring Eatly. I love your collecton of photos. The place really want to visit their is the roof beer garden.

Emily @ Life on Food said...

I visited Eataly twice. Once when the line was so big we didn't wait. The second time was early in the morning and only the front part was open. Great pastries and coffee. I love your photos. I will have to plan another trip to see the rest of the building.

Adriana said...

What a lovely account! Eataly reminds me of a food stores within the walled city of Siena - it had everything - and then some. What a treat to have a similar experience in New York. I'm adding it to my to-do list for when I make it back to the city.

Erin said...

Great pictures, I want to go!! Looks like fun!

Happy When Not Hungry said...

I've been hearing so many great things about Eataly! I need to go!

Jocie's Mom said...

Woo hoo! That looks like so much fun! My husband and I did the same thing in Harrods last month. I didn't think I was going to get him out of the seafood section :) Great post!

Unknown said...

I live in Southern Connecticut and have been to Eataly a few times. It really is an amazing place, to eat and shop. Great write up!

jck said...

Lusting...

Jessica said...

Happy Anniversary!

Oh Eataly sounds amazing. That is going on my must-go-to list the next time I'm in NYC. The cheese and mushroom selection will leave me gawking for hours!

Eliotseats said...

Great photos. I WANT TO GO NOW! You have helped put Eataly on my NY itinerary.

The Mistress of Spices said...

I loved Eataly during a brief visit there in April! I can't wait to go back with more time to really explore.