Visiting Eataly: First Impressions

What do you get when one in New York sets out to push the envelope of quality, sophistication and convenience for Italian gourmet food ?  What do you get when you collect many gourmet Italian food stores and link them together side by side under one roof ? A wonderful place called Eataly. 

At Eataly you will find a in house bakery. Great artisian breads and focaccias. Carnivors will find a mini steak house, seafood lovers, a sit-down seafood restaurant. Fresh vegetables department where quality is king, a gourmet soda department. Fresh pasta store, followed by a high end dry pasta area where I am sure you will find pasta cuts you have never heard of. Eataly sports an extensive cheese dispatch that will make your mouth water and triglycerides run scared.  You won't find a Brooklyn style pork store inside Eataly but pork with rule at its super furnished charcuterie department with Parmas and Serrano prosciuttos that will play you like the sirens did Ulysses.  Let's not forget , a cafe that leads to a gelato shop that leads to a pastry shop that leads to ... well a nice park at the tail end of Madison avenue.  And I hear rumors about a second floor biergarten which would be coming soon.

By the way , I love the word play with Eataly. Two of my favorite things. Eat.ing and Italy. Can't get better than that.


Here's the link : Visit the Eataly Website

The place is truly massive and this does not include the planned second floor which was under construction. So the question is : how does one tackle eatery . One store at a time , one store per visit. The fan club and I started our Eataly experience but settling down at the charcuterie area where we ordered a few glasses of Prosecco and two peels of cheese and salumi.  The choice turned out to be an excellent one.

tantalizing mini caprese board

Prosciutto cotto? This is Italy's version of cooked ham. Very different. Very good.  The bocconcini are made of buffalo milk, so they will melt in your mouth.

affettati misti

Order both peels, along with a few glasses of Prosecco. You'll be transformed. You'll start to experience a form of pragmatic dining that will change the way you look at your old fast food choices forever, Fast and flavorful, with a touch of class is all possible at the high counters at Eataly.

We will be returning soon so stay tuned.

Salute !