The shelves at Eataly New York. Photo by Katie Sokoler from the Gothamist website.
Normally when I go home for a visit to the U.S., I avoid Italian food in all of its incarnations in favor of the ethnic foods I miss so. And I’m typically based in Milan, so I do have access to more ethnic foods than were I in many other parts of the Belpaese, but there are still many, many things I miss and seek out when I am away. This time I was in the U.S. for two whole months so after a while I did get a hankering for pesto and other Italian delicacies. Fortunately, most of the things I miss from Italy are quite easy to make and the ingredients are ever more readily available. On this trip, for example, my husband found buffalo mozzarella that had been flown in from Naples and was fresher than any buffalo mozzarella he’s ever bought in Milan.
The day before flying back to Italy, we went to the inauguration of the huge Eataly emporium that just opened in New York City’s Flatiron district (in the old Toy Building for those of you who know New York). We came (a bit late to avoid the long line), we saw (chef and partner of the venture Mario Batali in his kitchen whites and famous Crocs), we conquered (the crowds). Eataly is a giant market of artisanal Italian products that has ties to the Slow Food movement. There are various other Eataly emporiums in Italy (especially in and around Turin as that is where the Slow Food movement started), but the ginormous New York store is the first one in the United States. The store sells produce (grown in Brooklyn, from what I understand, not in Italy), pasta, oil, gelato, meats, cheeses, coffee, fresh bread and much more. Each area seems to have its own restaurant or “food court” where prepared foods can be tasted.
I went to the opening with a group of Italians and their take on it was that it was incredibly “commerciale.” It was too much of a madhouse to actually buy or try anything on offer, but I do have to say that if I were an Italy lover in the New York area, I might pay occasional visits to Eataly just to hear Italian spoken and get a feel for being in Italy. Inside there’s also a Rossopomodoro pizzeria, which is an Italian chain offering pretty good Neapolitan-style pizza. Eataly even has something I’ve never actually seen in Italy: a vegetable butcher. You buy your veggies and then specify to the “butcher” how you’d like them prepared. A rooftop beer garden at Eataly should also be opening any day now.
I found things to be a bit pricey, but I guess that is to be expected. The boxes of Barilla pasta that normally cost around $1.25 or $1.50 in regular American supermarkets are $2 here, but there is such a wide range of pastas that I’d probably come here and pay that if I were looking for something more obscure than penne or fusilli . And the displays are quite enticing.
If I’d had my camera, I would have taken pictures of the Eataly slogans plastered all over the place, which seemed to poke fun at Italian-style customer service. Near the checkout counters I saw slogans, such as “Italy isn’t perfect and either is Eataly” and “The customer is not always right and either is Eataly.” I didn’t buy anything (I was returning to Italy the day after, after all), but I wonder if the cashiers are as grumpy and demand exact change like they do here?
I like the name. I remember introducing my Southern Italian boyfriend to pesto in London in 1992. I couldn’t speak a word of Italian, nor had I been to Italy but coming from Australia, I knew more Italian dishes than he did!
Just today I was thinking proudly to myself what a broad repertoire of recipes I have – because of coming from a new world city (Melbourne) where there are so many cooking traditions. When I lived near the biggest Italian supermarket the coffee and pasta were cheaper than in Bologna!
Welcome back to Europe!
I wonder if pesto is much more diffused in Italy now than it was in 1992? I feel like it’s such a staple here now! And each region seems to have its own version – like I saw different versions down in Sicily.
I visited an Eataly (the one in Bologna) for the first time this year. It was love at first sight.
I’m annoyed that there’s one in NYC (near my old place, adding salt to my wound) but not in Rome. It’s an outrage really. Hello, we want Kettle Chips down here too.
Welcome back. Hope you had an amazing trip.
Hey, we have Kettle Chips at the Esselunga supermarket! I’ve told you before, I can send you a “pacco” filled with them from up here in Milan.
I don’t know if I’d shop there regularly if I lived in New York because it’s just too expensive. But I can see how Italophiles would go crazy for it.
I imagine it being a bit like Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck as it’s sometimes called) but with only Italian products.
If I still lived in NYC I’d probably go there every now and again for some cheese or something. But there are so many great places to guy food in NY.
What was interesting to me was to see all of the Italians and hear Italian spoken everywhere. Even the bread section was called “il panificio” or whatever. I don’t know if it is just because of the inauguration, but it was full of Italians and I’d never been anywhere in the U.S. where I heard so much Italian spoken. It’s just a very slick take on what in Italy is usually more rustic/genuine – il panificio, il macellaio, il fruttivendolo, etc. – all under one roof. I can see the draw if you REALLY need an Italy fix.
buy food I mean…
Do they sell panna da cucina? I’ve been on a quest for panna da cucina. It’s hard to find. In fact I’ve only found it in Little italy, NY and, wait, Eataly is also in NYC forget what I wrote.
But I’m glad that you had a good time and I’ve never heard of a vegetable butcher either.
Are you talking about the stuff that comes unrefrigerated in the little “brick” packaging? I think you could substitute heavy cream (not the sweet kind), and it’d probably be more natural. I wouldn’t know because I don’t use it a lot. Or what about substituting with ricotta (thinning it out with a little bit of salted pasta water), for example?
I thought panna da cucina was just panna with added gloop? I always just use panna personally. Michelle – glad to have you back!
Yeah, some of that UHT stuff is full of gloop and glop. Glad to hear from you!
I really enjoyed reading about your experience at Eataly, I am going to New York next week (of course after you are already back in Italy) and look forward to checking it out.
Have a great trip. It’s a nice time to visit New York!
Guess whose wife, son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, etc want to go there? This has been on all of the cooking shows and I have cousins in the city that went there and then emailed my kids. Thanks for the great review and it is good to hear you are back! I hope that the thumb is all healed up…
It’s not too, too far from you right? Closer than Italy, anyway! You may have to trek into the city with the whole famiglia!
Yeah as far as I know panna da cucina is just thickened cream. Real cream is better.
Hi Mschoenu,
Yes, I’m referring to the panna that comes unrefrigerated in the little ‘brick’ packaging although I always bought parmelat panna chef leggera in plastic containers. That stuff probably contained a lot more chemicals than UHT but it was tasty. The heavy cream sold here doesn’t taste nearly as good. Neither does the light cream or a mixture of the 2. Maybe I just need the extra gloop.
Someone told me to try creme fraiche which I can get at a store 30 minutes from me. I’ll try the ricotta solution too. Thanks for the suggestion.