Eataly, NYC

The first on my list of “must go” places in New York was Eataly. As soon as we dropped off our bags at Residence Inn in Times Square and took a quick detour in Bryant Park we walked 17 blocks to Eataly. The mozarepa must have given us renewed energy to walk so far.

We went in through the gelato entrance.

gelato

Dolci & Chocolate

I wanted to buy a prime rib sandwich by they closed at 5 pm. I missed it by just a few minutes.

La Rosticceria

There were so many eateries but it was all full and this was at around 5:10 pm.

Il Pesce

Luckily we got a table at La Pizza and La Pasta. Unlucky for me since that’s all carbs.

La Pizza & La Pasta

La Pizza menu

We were immediately served warm crusty bread which I didn’t eat.

Erin didn’t like the taste of her ginger ale so I drank it. The Baladin citrus ginger ale was really an adult soda. It was strong and almost medicinal. It wasn’t sweet and tasted exotic to me. I liked it!!!

Italian sodas $5.80 each

We ordered an antipasto misto to share.

The big plate had small portions of roasted squash, figs agrodolce, shaved brussel sprouts w/ pecorino and marinated olives.

antipasto misto $13

Would you believe this was my first time to eat squash? I loved the firm texture and the unbelievable sweetness tempered with a balsamic reduction. I also enjoyed the raw brussel sprouts with a light dressing and lots of salty shaved pecorino cheese. The fresh figs were sweet and sour and it took me a while to like it and I eventually did. Even though I don’t like olives I liked these marinated olives.

I ate most of the antipasto since my cousins knew I can’t eat pizza and pasta. Darn diet! Those are two of my most favorite food groups.

The pizzas had a thin and crisp, dry crust. The toppings were all good but I liked the one with parma ham and ricotta cheese the best. I didn’t eat most of the crust. I have developed a fear of carbs to this day. (Cookies and desserts are not carb in my mind. ha ha) 

Fru Fru pizza $22
special oval shaped 3-season pizza: ricotta cheese and ham, mozzarella and tomato sauce, parma ham, arugula and parmigiano reggiano shavings 

The waiter suggested this pizza which was his favorite. He was right. The crisp salami was something different.

Pizza Lombarda $22
buffalo mozarella, salame milano, shaved grana padano & basil

ang cute, ng oven 😀

I tried a little bit of the 9 layer lasagna with traditional meat sauce and it was fabulous. The pasta was thin and al dente. The sauce was just right and it didn’t overwhelm the pasta. The ground beef tasted like little bits of steak. The small slice of lasagna was worthy of it’s expensive price.

Pasta al Forno al Ragu $16

The super al dente penne with eggplant and a spicy tomato sauce was simple and very flavorful. Overall we were very happy and satisfied with our meal. When we left the restaurant at 6:00 pm there was already a long line waiting for a table.

Penne Rigate alla Norma $15

Right beside our tables were shelves of dried pasta I’ve never seen before.

I wanted to take a whole wheel home.

wheels of Parmegiano Reggiano

bread galore

fresh meat

fresh pasta

Italian cheese

cured meats

more cheese

wine bar

Pasticceria

I bought this 70% dark chocolate gluten free chocolate torte. We ate it with our espresso from Caffe Vergnano. It was a bit dry but I liked the deep and rich dark chocolate flavor.

Caffe Vergnano’s espresso

A couple of our friends who lived in New York haven’t even been to Eataly. They know it was always full and hard to get a seat. We were just lucky that we went at 5:00 pm. There were so many things to see but somehow it wasn’t very conducive to shop there. I wanted to buy a piece chocolate but I couldn’t find a cashier. The shopping areas were all mixed together with the eateries that there were almost no boundaries. It was still an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Eataly
200 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
telephone: 212.229.2560
Open Every Day