I am totally fascinated by the Manhattan opening of Eataly — a 50,000 square foot massiveness of Italian food, shops, wine and treats.
Yes — 50,000 square feet. But Mario Batali never does anything small, and he is one of Eataly’s backers.
I haven’t been there yet, but I know this much. In addition to seven restaurants, a full upscale Italian market, a cooking school, wine bar, vegetable butcher, two wood-fired pizza ovens and a fresh pasta counter, Eataly (awful name, no?) also has the following lures (this is the stuff that really caught my eye):
- A Lavazza coffee stand
- Paninoteca (bread bread bread bread)
- Pasticceria (pastries!)
- Rosticceria (roasted meats)
- Gelateria (need I say more)
- And, finally — wait for it: Il Laboratoria De La Mozzarella. *Cue angels singing*
It’s just so much…Italy, I guess. I can’t decide if this is pure genius or a bit of Vegas. Or perhaps EPCOT.
Check out this news clip that covered the big opening day.
If the excitement of the woman being interviewed in the blue halter dress is any indication, I guess I should really make the pilgrimage. Or maybe she just hit the new wine bar a bit hard. Or had one too many espressos.
The whole thing seems odd for Manhattan, or maybe for the fading Manhattan that didn’t embrace strip malls, big chains or anything too contrived. (The recent travesty of turning the Limelight into a mall comes to mind, which was a bigger sin than its original conversion from a church to a den of 80s and 90s hedonism. But let’s cover that another day, if I can somehow dust off those fuzzy memories.)
In the meantime, I hope to get to Eataly soon and check it out for myself. But if any of you guys get there before me, please give me the scoop — along with a gelato, an espresso and a ball of fresh mozzarella.
Grazie mille.
I went to college with that reporter!
But not with espresso/wine laden, blue halter top woman 🙂
sounds like a destination that I must hit next time I am in NYC. Can I also say tears ran down my cheek at the thought of the limelight…..memories….but the thought of fresh mozzarella, some bread and red wine wiped that tear right off my face!!
Whitney, you may get there before me at this rate 🙂 And as for the Limelight, where to begin…?
Limelight is a mall????? Jeez, I gotta get into the City more. I did just get back from a 2 week trip to Gaeta, Italy, famous for its buffalo mozzarella. Never had anything in the U.S. that came even remotely close to what I ate there.
I’m jealous! I’m afraid it will be a while before I get back to Italy, but I’m happy to sample as much Italian fare on this side of the Atlantic as possible in the meantime.