“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.

Anyone for an “aperitivo”?

An experience that I have come to enjoy in Italy is one that can be had any day between 5.00 and 7.00 p.m., that of an “aperitivo” (or what we would call an aperitif).  Walk into any bar between those hours, and they will be ready for you J An aperitivo is served with at the very least, a small bowl of crisps, another with maybe peanuts and even a third with another snack such as olives.  In a bowl of peanuts a teaspoon is added so that customers can scoop a few nuts into their hand and so makes sharing a much more hygienic experience when there are several of you together.  

What is an aperitif?  In short, a before dinner snackette, an appetiser if you will.  Here in Italy it can be something like a Crodino, or a San Bitter, or maybe Campari an Aperol or Prosecco or any other small (almost non- alcoholic) drink.  However for me, it’s the foodie bits that are served with the aperitivo that are always a source of anticipation and delight (and occasionally it must be admitted disappointment too).   You just never know what you are going to get; tiny pieces of pizza, miniscule sandwiches, or little bites of filled pastry.  Sometimes just seeing them laid out on a bar table (buffet style is not unheard of) is enough to make your mouth water.  Recently a new bar opened near where we live, and Vito and I went there a couple of weeks ago to try out their aperitivo.  Unfortunately it was only 3.30 p.m. and we were too early, so had to settle for crisps, olives and the apologies of the staff.  This Saturday we decided to try our luck again.  Well it was definitely worth the wait.  We sat at a table outside the bar, which is situated in a quiet back street, as first our drinks arrived followed shortly after by these.  

Turning the plate with the bowl of crisps on it, I found two additional bowls full of couscous.  The pieces of toast (bruschetta) had things like a spinach and cheese mix on top while another had sun-dried tomatoes.  We were also served slices of fine flaky pastry filled with mushrooms and slices of cheese.  Vito commented that all the food was vegetarian although we hadn’t made any special request. 

Then we saw at a neighbouring table, grissini with cooked ham twisted around them had been served, so we came to the conclusion that different selections are given to all their customers.  One thing that all customers had in common though was their reaction on being presented with this mini feast.

“WOW!!!”

And all for 4 Euro per head including the drink.  

Double Wow!!