NEW YORK - 'Tis the season to feast! For holiday food shopping and more, head to Eataly, a large Italian marketplace in New York City owned in part by famed chef Mario Batali.
Eataly's motto? Eat, shop, learn!
Stroll through the Mediterranean mecca and find prosciutto, gelato, antipasto and ravioli!
"We’re pretty flush when it comes to pasta, dried or fresh," says Amatuzzi, pointing to a specialty called agnolotti del plin. "The art of fresh pasta is that it’s made daily."
Eataly also carries a delicacy: truffles! "Shaved over anything, they take a dish from zero to hero pretty quickly," says Amatuzzi.
Another counter contains more than 100 cheeses and cured meats. Fresh flowers and produce adorn shelves, as well as everyday necessities and specialty items imported from overseas.
"Each restaurant is very singular in concept. There’s a fish restaurant, a vegetable restaurant, a meat focused restaurant," says Amatuzzi, noting that the philosophy behind the cooking is the simpler, the better. "Don’t get too complicated with recipes. You don’t need to make a big production of food in order for it to be good and healthy."
Each Eataly looks a little different, but there is a common thread that ties them all together. It's a very special ingredient that's tended-to 24 hours a day.
"The yeast for the bread," explains Amatuzzi. "It all originated from the Mother Yeast in Torino. That Mother Yeast is then transported to every Eataly bakery where it becomes it’s own yeast culture. It reacts to the environment and air around it."
Eataly celebrates the incomparable Italian lifestyle that revolves around enjoying good food with friends and family.
A full food experience in the Big Apple. That's amore!
Click here for more information about Eataly! The market is open daily at 10 a.m. Holiday-themed classes are coming-up at the cooking school, La Scuola di Eataly.
