Highlight of the week!

While I discovered quite a few new hot spots this week, the top of the list has to go to Eataly (ha, get it?), right by Madison Square Garden.  Not even open a full year, this market and restaurant combination blows Little Italy out of the park.  When you first walk in, you are immersed with the chaotic smells, sounds, and bustling passersby that represent Italy at its finest.  As you walk past the gelateria (an act significantly harder to do than it might seem), you start to get the feel of the area and- much like a foreigner after the initial culture shock phase- begin to feel an overwhelming sense of belonging.  There is a grand piazza area where people stand at tables, sipping on wine, tasting fresh prosciutto and mozzarella, and chatting about their days.  There isn't much organization, and when friends mingle at the same table as complete strangers, it can't seem more reminiscent of Lo Stivale.  And then you try the food.

The food is beyond words.  Made with fresh ingredients, their pasta, pizza, and fish selections are unbelievable.  There are separate sitting sections for each course, and while the wait was 45 minutes, the food arrives within 10 minutes and is well worth the wait.  Eataly is unlike anything I've ever seen in New York.  Once you are finished eating (or perhaps while you are waiting to be seated), you can find a market to browse with everything from imported wines and coffee to cookbooks and household cooking utensils.  Be sure to find your way back to the gelateria, whether or not there is room in the pancia.  Buon appetito!