«Food temple», «slow food mecca», «epic market», «food experience», «culinary extravaganza»… These are the headlines lately in New York regarding the opening of Eataly, a new Italian market space in the Flatiron District (200 Fifth Ave. between 23rd and 24th streets). I agree with all of the above. This is exactly the kind of place New York needed, a slow food temple in a fast city. Eataly is a 25 million project patterned after the original in Turin with chef Mario Batali as a co-founder. I visited the 42,500-square-feet market yesterday and people were already lining up outside. Eataly features a café, wine shop, more pasta bags and olive oil bottles you can ever dream of, bakery and patisserie, seven restaurants and a 4,500 square-foot open-air rooftop beer garden (opening in November). Six pizza chefs arrived from Naples just last week. All products are from Italy. They even have an Italian ATM, a vegetable butcher and iPad bar to read La Stampa. Mi piace.
More pictures after the jump, click to enlarge.
Pictures Marie-Joelle Parent
