EATALY

EATALY

FLATIRON DISTRICT

NEW YORK, NY

Eeatly is the brainchild of Iron Chef Malto Mario and some big money investors.  It is a huge building on Fifth Avenue in New York.  It is part restaurant, part bar, part bakery, part butcher, part seafood market, part wine store, part grocery store, part florist and just about every other thing you can imagine from Italy.  Eataly is all things that can be eaten and is a joy to the senses of taste, smell and vision.  Eataly is an entire village housed in one area.  You can buy food, drink, eat or just browse around this massive market. We walked around a bit trying to figure the place out.  There are tables set up in the middle of all the various food locations such as butcher, bakery, cheese, pasta, seafood stations.  We made are way into a short line for pizza and pasta.  When we got to the receptionist, she informed us there was a 45 minute wait.  No problem, we just walked over to the cheese and salami section and grabbed a standup table.  The waiter quickly arrived with water and menus.  I ordered a glass of Ferrar Brut Champagne ($15).  We ordered the Misto Salumi e Forgaggi ($22).  This was a pretty good sized platter of cheese and meats that was delicious.  We then headed over to the pizza/pasta station and were quickly seated in an upstairs loft overlooking the market.  The special of the day at Eataly this day was fresh Truffles.  They were selling them at cost to ring in the first day of Truffle Season.  Only $28 to enhance any dish.  We ordered the San Marzano Pizza ($13).  Tomato Sauce, Cheese and Fresh Basil.  Problem with this is that there was just one small slice of basil on the entire pizza.  We thought the pizza was o.k.  Our next dish was Fusilli al Ragu ($17). Fusilli pasta with meat sauce.  The meat was shredded and not ground.  It was really good.  This was a good dish of pasta cooked perfectly.  Our last dish was the big splurge.  Tajarin Occelli Butter Pasta with the extra splash of fresh Truffles ($16 plus the $28 for Truffles).  A $42 plate of pasta?  Yes........Basically pasta, butter and some thyme and parsley with shavings of Truffles.  Worth it.  Hell no!!!!