Eataly

A generous pour

I spent the past weekend in New York with my good friend Jo and let me tell you, we ate well! 

We started the weekend with a trip to Eataly on Friday night. If they built apartments above Eataly I would probably force MM to move to NYC. Eataly is an Italian food lover's dream. The space is divided into different ingredient sections (e.g. vegetables, fish, pasta, etc) and most of the sections have a little restaurant to showcase that particular ingredient. (Check out their map to get a better sense of how it is laid out.) Here is a sampling of the different areas:

Eataly's Motto

Gorgeous wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano - next to them was a sign that asked you not to touch them because the oils from your hands will affect their flavor.

Salumi counter

Produce

 Mushrooms

 Salsify

Assortment of Squash

Molto Prosciutto

 Panini for the lucky people who work close to Eataly and can visit for lunch

Lemonade

We decided to eat at Le Verdure, which is the vegetarian restaurant within Eataly. (Their menu is here.) We started with a super fresh and delicious bruschetta, which was a special that night. Unfortunately I can't remember everything that was on it. I think it included olive tapenade and arugula, but I can't remember what else. We also ordered a plate of Verdure alla Piastra for the table (two of Jo's friends joined us as well). I forgot to take a picture of both, but they were delicious and flavorful.

One of Jo's friends ordered Fennel, Frico and Tomato:

Fennel!

As you can imagine, it was delicious. Look at that gorgeous caramelized color!

I ordered the Gnocchi alla Romana:

I have been wanting to try to make gnocchi alla Romana for some time now (Saveur printed a recipe in their article on Rome in the April 2010 issue, which is what sparked my interest). The gnocchi were creamy and full of flavor from the crisp Parmigiano-Reggiano on the top. The slightly acidic ragu underneath it cut through the richness of the gnocchi perfectly.

So if you find yourself in New York and you have some time to spare, check out Eataly!