Eataly Celebrates the Region of Lazio

Last week I was invited to a special lunch at the famed Eataly marketplace to celebrate the cultural richness of Italy's Lazio region.  Located in the West Central part of Italy, closest to Rome, Lazio celebrates agricultural abundance, resulting in wonderfully diverse cuisine.

The Setting:
Held at Eataly's Manzo restaurant in a room that was sectioned off from the rest of the hubbub, the Lazio luncheon provided exclusivity and cache to a few lucky diners.  We were fortunate to be in the presence of three Lazio ministers, who flew in from Italy just for this occasion. 

Each one educated us about the unique qualities of this region, its immense potential and the original products it produces.  I was also fascinated to learn that a new Eataly will open in Rome later this year, showcasing Lazio's most well known fare such as artichokes, pecorino romano cheese, porchetta and puntarelle (chicory salad).  But if you don't have the time or the bucks to go over to Italia, fret not, for you can taste Lazio's fine products right here in Eataly's New York outpost for the entire month of January.

Food:
After we learned about Lazio, we sat down to a fine lunch, representative of its cuisine.  After four carefully thought out and expertly prepared courses, we were not only convinced that Lazio's food was excellent, but we also got a craving to visit it abroad (at least I did).

Course 1 - Starting with a puntarelle salad that was a slightly different take on Caesar, our tastebuds immediately awakened after the first bite.  Similar to arugula, the puntarelle was bitter and peppery with a nice, juicy crunch.  Dressed with a garlicky vinaigrette and bits of anchovies, it showcased a tangier and slightly smokier flavor profile than your usual Caesar.

Course 2 - My dining companion who was Italian remarked that this second dish, pasta all'amatriciana was perfectly symbolic of Lazio.  Consisting of ridged ziti pasta dressed with a signature red sauce that was mixed with chewy bits of guanciale (dried pork cheek), this dish was unbelievably comforting.  Spiced with red pepper flakes, it gave off nice heat, keeping you on your toes.

Course 3 - The best dish of the afternoon in my book was the pork saltimbocca, which tasted as wonderful as it looked.  A generously sized white pork chop served as the centerpiece on the plate, around which everything else revolved.  Crispy, fried sage, salty prosciutto, soft, creamy polenta and a rich broth all surrounded the pork and added sophistication to a simple cut of meat.  Amazing!

Course 4 - There's nothing like a deliciously light dessert to end an already impressive meal.  A sheep's milk ricotta budino (pudding or custard) sounded heavy but was anything but.  I loved the airiness and freshness of the ricotta, which was laced with fragrant lemon zest.  The whole thing was then topped with a delicate pear marmellata (a chunky jam) that gave it nice sweetness and an exquisite floral quality.

Wine - Each course was paired with a Lazio wine.  We started with a light "Satrico" Casale del Giglio 2009 and worked our way to a fuller bodied Merlot "Montiano" Falesco 2005.  Dessert was served with a sweet, syrupy Roscetto "Passiro" Falesco 2005 that smelled divine but was a little too sweet for me.

If you're interested in exploring Lazio's cuisine, visit Eataly, NY this week to purchase its products - or you can always plan a trip to Italia and see the real thing. 

Eataly - 200 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
646.398.5100
N/R Train to 23rd Street
www.newyork.eataly.it

Identita Eataly - Going on Now

Yesterday was exciting!  To get a chance to meet, chat with and observe some of the best Italian chefs straight from the mother country is a true pleasure, one that was bestowed upon me at the Identita New York press conference at Eataly.

Identita Golose, a haute cuisine and pastry-making congress that originated in Milan about six years ago has now been brought over to America--and what better way to showcase it than at the colossal Italian food mega-center, Eataly!  The event was graciously hosted by the famous faces of Eataly including Mario Batali, Lidia and Joe Bastianich.

The piazza at Eataly was buzzing with excitement and enticing smells, as eleven award-winning chefs from all parts of Italy came aboard to introduce New Yorkers to traditional Italian cuisine, with their signature avant-garde flair.  I had the chance to meet these chefs in person and chat with them about their food inspirations, what makes them tick about Italian cuisine as well as some of their American food favorites.

Chef Cristina Bowerman - Chef Cristina, the only woman amongst the Identita chefs certainly held her own, and she was one of my favorites.  As the chef/owner of Glass Hostaria in Rome, Cristina brought her extensive knowledge of seafood (scallops) to the table, with her Scallops al "bosco" dish, which combined American ingredients prepared in an Italian style.  Take a look at the video interview to find out more about this dish as well as some of Chef Cristina's favorite NY restaurants.

Chef Luca Montersino - As most of you know, I'm very into all things sweet so I was especially interested in interviewing Chef Luca Montersino of Golosi di Salute in Piedmont.  Chef Luca is known for non-traditional desserts that are sometimes referred to as healthful.  Hydrogenated oils and refined sugars aren't a part of his dictionary and he prides himself in using inventive and in many cases, unconventional ingredients.  Take a look at our video interview in which Chef Luca discusses his special Eataly dessert as well as his love for simple desserts, including tiramisu.  All this said in his beautifully melodic Italian accent - just have a listen, per favore.

Other chefs featured in Identita this week include:

Moreno Cedroni, Chef/Owner of Madonnina del Pescatore in Marches
Ugo Alciati, Chef/Owner of Restaurant Guido in Piedmont
Massimo Bottura, Chef/Owner of Osteria Francescana in Emilia Romagna
Pino Cuttaia, Chef/Owner of La Madia in Sicily
Gennaro Esposito, Chef/Owner of Restaurant Torre del Saracino in Campania
Emanuele Scarello, Chef/Owner of Agli Amici in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Niko Romito, Chef/Owner of Restaurant Reale in Abruzzo
Davide Scabin, Chef/Owner of Restaurant Combal.Zero in Piedmont
Pietro Zito, Chef/Owner of Restaurant Antichi Sapori in Apulia

Today is the last day that you can sample these chef's creations at Eataly so get yourself over there pronto and check out the fall flavors of cucina "tre colore."  Buon appetito.

Eataly - 200 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
646.398.5100
N/R Train to 23rd Street
www.newyork.eataly.it

Discovering the Other Italy...Eataly!

Eataly - 200 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
646.398.5100
N/R Train to 23rd Street
www.newyork.eataly.it

Yesterday was my second visit to Eataly, the 50,000 square foot Italian-style marketplace in the Flatiron District that everyone's been talking about.  I was so curious about it, wanting to explore it as soon as it opened, that I no doubt added to its continuous congestion problem.  But such is expected when something this revolutionary and big comes to a food-obsessed city such as New York. 

In my first visit last week, I was truly on sensory overload.  Not knowing where to look first, I was in awe of the immense variety of food products and shops that Eataly proudly offered.  From a mozzarella counter to a vegetable butcher; a fresh fish counter to a Neapolitan pizza and pasta shop; a cafe serving gourmet espresso to an artisanal bread bakery, this place really had it all.  See my full slideshow here, to really get the picture.

Atmosphere:
Resembling an open air marketplace (except this one's indoors), Eataly is a mixture of casual food counters that are focused on specialty food products, that I touched upon above (i.e. fish, meat, pasta, cheese, salumi, veggies, desserts, etc.) as well as a restaurant, a wine shop, a bookstore and even an in-the-works cooking school and travel agency. 

The expansive space is divided into long corridors, with a large atrium (a piazza if you will) where most of the seating is housed.  As you can imagine, seats are very hard to come by and since the first time I've been, I noticed they added seating stations where people have to check-in with a hostess to get seated.  It keeps things more organized but doesn't make the lines any shorter. 

In terms of checking out of Eataly, you won't pay for your products at the actual food counters.  Instead you'll wait on a surprisingly short and efficient line which leads to the cash registers, where you can conveniently pay with paper or plastic. 

Food:
While the choice of things to get was immense, when it came time to actually make a decision, it was harder than I thought, as the lines at every counter were at least 15 people long.  I finally settled on the bakery and got a loaf of bread, which I'll describe in detail now.

Poppy Sourdough Baguette - I chose this bread because it was one of the least expensive options and it appeared to offer the most bank for your buck.  Well...appearances can be deceiving, as this bread provided neither value nor taste.  Its texture was hard, making it a challenge to chew.  I dressed it up with some butter, cheese and fresh veggies and even then it was dry and tasteless - I just didn't enjoy it.  Baguettes are supposed to be crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside - this one was just painfully hard from the outside in. Bah!

Of course, I thought this was just a fluke but honestly I'm not so sure.  When I spoke to my friend Lisa about her experience, she mentioned that her pistachio gelato was inedible to the point where she had to throw it out.  Not a good sign, Eataly. 

My friend Bo experimented with their fresh pasta this weekend (see a short video on how they make it), so I'll report back about that, but so far, I'm not impressed.  Will have to see how I do at the other food counters a bit later in the game.  Maybe as the place gets less crowded, quality will improve. Here's hoping...

Costs:
Molto expensive is the name of the game.  The bread I describe above was $3.80, about a dollar more than at Whole Foods per se, where it's a lot more delicious.  Other approximate price-points include:

Fresh Mozzarella - $8 - $15 (depends on size)

Fresh Pasta - $7.80 - $12.68 per pound
Bread - $2.80 - $8.80
Beer - $4.80 (single) - $15 (6-pack)

Gelato - $4/cup

1.5 Mmmms