Eataly & Picnic in the Park, NYC

I didn't know much about Eataly until my twitter blew up a couple months ago with speculation that the Italian market would be opening up in Los Angeles. The sprawling 50,000 sq ft space in the Flatiron District in NYC, brought to you by Mario Batali, business partner Joe Bastianich and beloved TV chef Lidia Bastianich, houses every imaginable gourmet food item. It's kind of a cross between the Ferry Building in SF and a Sur La Table. There's a butcher, cheese shop, fishmonger, fresh pasta stand, home made charcuterie and bakery. Unfortunately their rooftop beer garden wasn't open yet. Apparently it will be open to public in the coming week.

There are many seats available for dining but we decided to pick up some fresh bread and cured meat for a picnic at Madison Square Park, just outside of the market.

We went with the packaged Fino Finocchiona and Prosciutto Di Etaly Friulano.

The rustic fig bread was fresh with a nice sweetness from the huge chunks of figs. The salami with fennel was my favorite. It was sweet with a hit of spice. The charcuterie selections were all fresh and tender.

We also picked up some focaccia from the bakery. The Focaccia Genova was topped with sweet onions. It had a bit of a creamy base but without any cheese. The Tomato, Mozzarella & Parma was identical to a ham pizza. The last selection was a broccoli focaccia.

The prices at Eataly are definitely on the high-end ($3-4 for each focaccia, $6 for a small loaf of bread) but the quality is solid. It's also a fun experience to roam the spacious market, buy a serving of gelato, peruse the pasta stand, and select the freshest ingredients for a homecooked dinner.

Eataly
200 5th Ave
New York, NY 10010
(212) 229-2560
www.eatalyny.com