This past week, I scheduled a trip to the city to meet up with some friends (well, one and her mom,Virginia, who became a friend over the course of the night). They are both Irish, Aisling lives in London and Mom at home in Lismore. To add to the dining dynamic, a friend from home (Christina) and one from the city joined us (Tommy). Quite the eclectic mix, I'll say. I wanted to show the Irish a place that was all what NY stands for. What's the most popular food in the city? Probably Italian, hands down. I wanted to take them to Arthur Ave in the Bronx, but due to time constraints it became impossible. So, we did the next best thing-- Eataly.
Eataly is a massive department store-style food emporium. I cannot even explain how crazy it is on the inside of this multistory building. What Eataly is, is a weird concept restaurant/market. In which most of the ingredients are from Italy (aside from fresh meats, etc). Everything from coffee to gelato to pasta to ??? You name it! The unique part of this is that whilst they sell food for you to take and cook at home, they also have twelve, yes... twelve kiosks/restaurants within the building. I tried to get into the fine dining part, Manzo-- but was unable to (watch this space, I will get there!). So we just decided to grab a bite from one of the more casual spots within.
We initially were going to try La Pizza & La Pasta. However, there was a wait so, we elected to go to the top floor which is called Birreria. This means brewery in Italian, however they also have a large selection of wines along with the beers. I ordered a Mother's Milk Stout ($7)-- which is made in the Hudson Valley, so being from there... I like to buy local first. The ladies all settled on different wines which were around $8.
After a bit of contemplating the menu, I took the liberty of ordering the appetizer. I settled on the Soppressata and the Mortadella. Soppressata is a hard salami which is very nice. These were large salami sticks, as the slices were thin and large. Excellent. The Mortadella is basically a fancy Oscar Mayer bologna. However, it doesn't taste anywhere as cheap! Both of these starters were served with fresh baked bread, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and some dynamite Balsamic Vinegar. The bread was included, and the price of the appetizer was $21 for the two (or $11 each on their own).
I didn't know what to order, so I went with an item I hadn't had in years... and am I glad I did! I ordered a twin roasted quail ($31), which I couldn't figure out the veggie beneath it. I don't care what it was, because both were divine. So flavorful and tender.
Virginia ordered the roasted chicken, which was also unbelievable. This was served with some sort of "little balls" of pasta that were seasoned nicely, also some veggies as well, this was $19. I would consider getting this dish in the future.... as I would the next!
Aisling got the beer braised pork shoulder ($19), which was absolutely mouth watering. It was served with apricot. So tender, so moist... this is not your Grandaddy's pork chop!
Christina ordered a very simple side of veggies (she's a vegetarian, but was an overwhelmingly good sport about the whole ordeal). They do offer mushroom dishes, but I gather she detests them. She settled on the Broccoli Rabe and Olive Oil Smashed Potatoes. The broccoli rabe was good-- plain and simple. Christina and I both remarked how the potatoes were a bit too oily.. I think chef went a bit overboard... I'll stick to butter or clotted cream in mine (each side $5).
Tommy ordered the Atlantic Halibut which he remarked was very good. He joined us later, due to his work holding him longer than expected. This dish rotates, so you might not be able to get it all the time (Market Price-- I didn't notice how much it cost).
The best part of the top floor is that during the summer months, the roof is open to see the city in all it's glory. Unfortunately this time, that wasn't an option with the driving monsoon outside.
Overall, I would give Eataly a 10 for originality. The food will depend on which kiosk or restaurant you choose, but I am willing to wager that all will be of high quality. If you're looking for something different, or to knock the socks off a foreigner... look no further than Eataly.
Eataly NY
Eataly is a massive department store-style food emporium. I cannot even explain how crazy it is on the inside of this multistory building. What Eataly is, is a weird concept restaurant/market. In which most of the ingredients are from Italy (aside from fresh meats, etc). Everything from coffee to gelato to pasta to ??? You name it! The unique part of this is that whilst they sell food for you to take and cook at home, they also have twelve, yes... twelve kiosks/restaurants within the building. I tried to get into the fine dining part, Manzo-- but was unable to (watch this space, I will get there!). So we just decided to grab a bite from one of the more casual spots within.
We initially were going to try La Pizza & La Pasta. However, there was a wait so, we elected to go to the top floor which is called Birreria. This means brewery in Italian, however they also have a large selection of wines along with the beers. I ordered a Mother's Milk Stout ($7)-- which is made in the Hudson Valley, so being from there... I like to buy local first. The ladies all settled on different wines which were around $8.
After a bit of contemplating the menu, I took the liberty of ordering the appetizer. I settled on the Soppressata and the Mortadella. Soppressata is a hard salami which is very nice. These were large salami sticks, as the slices were thin and large. Excellent. The Mortadella is basically a fancy Oscar Mayer bologna. However, it doesn't taste anywhere as cheap! Both of these starters were served with fresh baked bread, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and some dynamite Balsamic Vinegar. The bread was included, and the price of the appetizer was $21 for the two (or $11 each on their own).
I didn't know what to order, so I went with an item I hadn't had in years... and am I glad I did! I ordered a twin roasted quail ($31), which I couldn't figure out the veggie beneath it. I don't care what it was, because both were divine. So flavorful and tender.
Virginia ordered the roasted chicken, which was also unbelievable. This was served with some sort of "little balls" of pasta that were seasoned nicely, also some veggies as well, this was $19. I would consider getting this dish in the future.... as I would the next!
Aisling got the beer braised pork shoulder ($19), which was absolutely mouth watering. It was served with apricot. So tender, so moist... this is not your Grandaddy's pork chop!
Christina ordered a very simple side of veggies (she's a vegetarian, but was an overwhelmingly good sport about the whole ordeal). They do offer mushroom dishes, but I gather she detests them. She settled on the Broccoli Rabe and Olive Oil Smashed Potatoes. The broccoli rabe was good-- plain and simple. Christina and I both remarked how the potatoes were a bit too oily.. I think chef went a bit overboard... I'll stick to butter or clotted cream in mine (each side $5).
Tommy ordered the Atlantic Halibut which he remarked was very good. He joined us later, due to his work holding him longer than expected. This dish rotates, so you might not be able to get it all the time (Market Price-- I didn't notice how much it cost).
The best part of the top floor is that during the summer months, the roof is open to see the city in all it's glory. Unfortunately this time, that wasn't an option with the driving monsoon outside.
Overall, I would give Eataly a 10 for originality. The food will depend on which kiosk or restaurant you choose, but I am willing to wager that all will be of high quality. If you're looking for something different, or to knock the socks off a foreigner... look no further than Eataly.
Eataly NY
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