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.
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| A great selection of cheeses |
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Giant wheels of parmigiano reggiano |
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| Imported pasta of all shapes and sizes |
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| Bright summery dishes |
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| Salts from around the world |
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| Tomato to-mahh-to |
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This is just the mushroom display  More vegetables |
And even more vegetables!
Scampi
Fresh snapper
We never knew Chris had a garlic named after him!
