Eataly

Italy(the country), Italian(the language), Italians(the people) and Italian (the food) is something I am OBSESSED with. I was fortunate enough to have lived a year in the Tuscan city of Florence back in 2006. One day I hope to be able to live back in Italy, as I think it is such an extraordinarily rich country in every sense. So.... you can imagine my excitement when Eataly, the largest artisanal food and wine marketplace in the world opened up its doors here in New York City!

Let me give you some background on this place. Back in 2007, Italian business man Oscar Farinetti converted a vermouth factory in Turin into the first Eataly. The New York Times has described Turin's Eataly as "a megastore that combines elements of a bustling European open market, a Whole Foods style supermarket, a high-end food court and a New Age learning center." Two years later he teamed up with Joe Bastianich, Mario Batali, and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich of Batali-Bastianich Hospitality Group to open the first store of its kind in New York City.

Eataly is located at 200 Fifth Ave in the Flat Iron District. The 50,000 square place is a mecca for food Italian food lovers. Here you will be able to find Italian delicacies and wine, a culinary education center, a birreria (a rooftop beer garden) and many small boutique eateries.

Hosting a dinner party? Head on over to Eataly to purchase your ingredients! The marketplace has a huge variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, cured meats, cheeses, fresh fish and meats, desserts, handmade pasta, coffee, pasta sauces and assortment of different types of bread. Not a good cook? Worry not, you can also purchase cookbooks or take some courses at the culinary school.

Feeling lazy? And just want to grab a quick bite to eat... head on over to the boutique eateries (some listed below).

LA PIAZZA
A standing table enoteca,where you will be able to savor cured meats and cheese. Highly recommend having a glass of wine with anything you order here...
LE VERDURE
Here you will have a vast variety of vegetable dishes. This is one way you can get me to eat veggies...
I PESCE
Italian seafood at its best created by Esca's chef, Dave Pasternack (aka. "the fish guru").
LA PIZZA & PASTA
Savor the classic Neapolitan pizza and pasta made from the freshest ingredients.
MANZO
Eataly's more formal dining experience. If you are craving meat, this is the place to go. No vegetarians allowed.
I PANINI
Classic Italian panini. Not comparable to the NY deli scene.
GELATERIA
Home-made gelato.. nothing makes me happier than Nutella Gellato.
CAFE LAVAZZA
True Italian coffee bar.

My suggestion: Buy some mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, home made pasta, pesto sauce and some fresh parmesan cheese... and make yourself a caprese salad and linguini pesto. It's a bit on the expensive side... but well worth it.

Eataly is the perfect cure to my Italy withdrawals. And it's much cheaper to pay a cab $10bucks, than to buy a roundtrip ticket to Rome and back.... FOOD FOR THOUGHT ;). Ciaooo!