The Taste of Italy Near Home: Eataly

By Micayla Matias | August 28, 2023

Do you ever just wish you could run off to Europe for the weekend? You know, a little getaway from reality before you're bombarded by the week's long work ahead of you. Unless you're a millionaire or have a private jet and somehow cleared your schedule in advance, chances are, you're staying local. But what if I told you can experience a slice of the European Italian delight you've been craving right near home? A "stay-cation" as some may call it.

If you haven't left for your weekend getaway to Europe yet, Eataly will do just the trick! They identify themselves as a restaurant but it's honestly a 3 in 1. And I'm not talking about the soap that guys use that for some odd reason is shampoo, conditioner, and body wash all mixed in one!? I like to think of Eataly as a extremely large Italian grocery store, that also has restaurants and bakeries all combined into one building. A wanderlust foodie's heaven.

So put on your helmet! and hop on my little red Vespa and join me for a get-a-way food tour of Eataly...

LA PIZZA & LA PASTA

The restaurant we ate at was LA PIZZA & LA PASTA. Now before I ramble and go in-depth about the food, let me just say, the interior of the restaurant was absolutely beautiful. I love architecture and will admit, a complete whore for interior design so I was already captivated before looking at the menu. The modern and minimalist style from the wooden ceiling beams/flooring in contrast with the white walls in conjunction with the green from the various plants and natural lighting coming through the large glass windows made the eating atmosphere much more pleasant and had me excited to order.

CACIO E PEPE

FRIED CALAMARI

On to the main course. PASTA. Who doesn't love pasta!? As someone who definitely has a gluten intolerance, eating pasta just to experience all the delicious chewy, cheesy, creamy goodness it has to offer is worth it. Especially if it's Cacio E Pepe. To be completely honest, I butchered the name while ordering it. I had pronounced it like (Casio) the famous watch brand when it's supposed to sound more like (Ka-Chi-O). I've heard about the dish before from Pinterest to Kris Jenner eating it on The Kardashians (where she had also mispronounced the dish). But despite never actually eating it until so, it always appealed to me as a fellow fettuccine alfredo lover. And boy was I right. It had everything I liked about the classic alfredo sauce which was the cheesy/creamy goodness along with the bonus peppery bite from the freshly ground pepper and grated pecorino romano on top. We also can't forget how they serve it to you...it's served from a huge parmesan cheese wheel for crying out loud! Who would've thought such a simple pasta dish with only 4 ingredients could pack so much flavor?!

THE MARKET

After indulging yourself with way too many carbs, a walk is just what you need. The grocery section/market of Eataly is the perfect place to take a stroll around to burn off those extra calories you've just consumed. Not only does the store provide you with an immense collection of wines to choose from (3 stories to be exact) but also everything Italian. Anything and everything from a variety of bread, cheeses, olive oils, and chocolate to even skincare! This is the perfect one-stop shop if you want to recreate the taste of Italy in your kitchen whilst picking up some other goodies on the way. Heck, why not even throw yourself a bouquet of flowers into your shopping cart!? As Miley Cyrus once said,"...I can buy myself flowers". It's 2023 after all; us ladies don't need a man to buy us flowers. So buy yourself that pretty bouquet! (psst...we can just pretend our very sexy Italian mafia boyfriend sent them to us).

DESSERTS

Now I know what you're thinking. You've been walking around for God knows how long, lost and in awe of all the Italian goodies the store has to offer. But chances are, after looking around the store in combination with all the walking, you're probably in the mood for a little snack. A sweet one to be exact. Luckily for you, the bottom floor of Eataly has its own bakery and gelateria where you can choose your choice of sweets to top off your Italian food tour. Once I entered the bottom floor my eyes began to wander like I was a 3-year-old going to a aquarium for the first time. I instantly went up to the glass displays to admire everything they made. I couldn't help but be overstimulated by all the beautifully displayed pastries and the sweet aroma that filled the air.

I could not come to Eataly and complete my food tour without ordering two things. Cannolis & Gelato. Both of which are a MUST. They're both iconic desserts that come to mind for most people when thinking about Italian sweets. We had ordered both the classic cannoli along its chocolate chip sibling. The cannolis were absolutely delicious! The sweet, yet tangy creamy ricotta filling balances well and compliments the crunchiness of the fried cannoli shell.

The next sweet treat you must get is the Chantilly Cream Puff. The cream puff was both decadent and delicate. Despite its tiny size and simplicity, it's still able to send your tastebuds on a flavor journey. Sharing is up for you to decide (I'd highly recommend getting multiple if you're sharing or just want to try multiple flavors due to their tiny size!). The fluffiness from its light, creamy, and airy filling makes this dessert feel as if you had taken a bite out of a cloud.

Last, but not least, before we end our Italian food tour we must stop by the gelateria and grab a scoop of Gelato! There were a ton of unique flavors to choose from such as Melon, Fichi (Sweet Milk & Figs), and Vaniglia (Vanilla, Orange, & Almond). It was hard to choose from all the flavors since I was tempted to taste all of them, but I decided to stick with the two classic and most popular flavors (Hazelnut and Pistachio) knowing that they wouldn't disappoint. Both flavors gave a sweet, smooth, and creamy nuttiness that was indulgent! I could honestly devour a whole gallon of it if I could. However, I'd stay clear of these flavors if you have a nut allergy and would recommend opting for one of the refreshing fruit flavors like Mango or Melon. Either option is the perfect treat to end your day!