“Eataly” A place I could eat out of house and home

Last week I went to Rome to see my wonderful Gabrielle (he of devoted Knight in Shining Armour fame in “Letters”), who I hadn’t seen for ages, and it was just bliss to see him again!  How I’d missed him and his beautiful mother Barbara. As always I was warmly greeted like one of the family and then we chatted, catching up on news. Meanwhile Gabrielle was thinking about where to take me for lunch.  
“Have you been to Italy?” he asked suddenly. 

I thought he was joking. “Of course, I live here!” 

He shook his head. “It’s spelt E-A-T-A-L-Y” 

“Oh.  No, I haven’t”. 

“Then we’ll go there for lunch”. 

Which we did, and it was delicious. On leaving Eataly later I said to Gabrielle, “I have to bring Vito here. He will LOVE it!”

I’m probably the last person in Rome to have heard of Eataly, but I reckon some of you “out there” haven’t heard of it yet, and so if you come to Rome, or are nearby New York or Chicago, (or even in Japan), you may like to know of it. 

Part of the outside of the EATALY building in Rome

The Rome building reputed to be the company's largest megastore, was opened in 2012 in a old abandoned air terminal building near Ostiense. Vito commented a couple of days later when we went there together, “I am so glad someone finally made good use of one of the “Cathedrals to Waste” as he calls the various half built, unused, money wasted buildings that litter Italy.  So they have. The building is beautiful.  A vast, modern streamlined four-storey building devoted to specialist Italian foods.  Built of glass and chrome it is light, airy, spacious,

The entrance hall

easy to move around, and filled from floor to ceiling with delicious things.  I would be happy to stay there.  As in forever! 

The entire building is divided into sections; so you can find all cheeses

Cheese!

in one place, or wander round looking at fresh pasta in another

Fresh pasta

There are some corners where they make the products

Making Mozzarella

(here they are making mozzarella), and each part also has its own restaurant.  So for example you can eat at the meat restaurant

The most tender and delicious hamburger EVER!  Topped with grilled aubergine

(where Gabrielle and I had lunch),

or spend hours looking at the sauces and different kinds of oils,

Sauces, preserves and oils

fresh fish, fresh meat, bread … you name it, or even just think of it,

Just one of the fresh fish counters

Part of the wine hall

and I reckon you could probably find it.  Vito and I agreed many of the prices are a little on the steep side, but of course you are buying top-notch specialist foods that you won’t be able to find in ordinary supermarkets, and the quality is of the best here.




There is a very atmospheric coffee bar,

Coffee bar

complete with a beautiful reproduction

Coffee machine

of an old espresso maker which is beautiful.

 On the top floor there is there is a very swish restaurant, where they have Modigliani on display and where you really DO need a full wallet to buy lunch or dinner.   Nearby is the cooking school, where cookery classes are held.  Also just outside the top floor restaurant is an area where there is the table for the “10 Fortunati”, or “10 fortunates (people)”. 

Table for the 10 "fortunati".  You can see the ovens the top chefs will use in the background. Seats look a bit uncomfortable though! 

From September for a whole year, every month a world famous chef will cook for 10 people who bid for a place at the table.  Bidding will begin at 300 Euro per person, and all the money raised will go to charity, which I think is an absolutely lovely idea, and would love to join in but we'll have to wait until Vito wins the lottery ....   or maybe in another life L

If you want to know more about Eataly, here is a link for those of you in Italy.  Here is the link for those in the USA and other English speakers. Here’s the link to Wiki if you want to know a bit about the background.