EATALY in Torino

EATALY is an amazing marketplace/eatery/wine store/beer house concept. Housed in a historical building at the end of Lingotto, which was once a Fiat factory and near the 2006 Olympic arch (see photo above); one can easily spend your entire wages eating here and buying all the excellent meat, fish, pasta, produce, condiments and wines. It is a very well thought out juxtaposition of eating areas and food presentations, with food and produce so fresh, they look like works of art and almost too good to eat.

On the main floor, there are clearly marked out sections for Seafood, Meat, Cheese & Salumi, Pasta & Pizza, Tartufo Bianco (currently in season), Vegetables, Desserts/Gelato and of course, a cafe area, too. You can either sit at the counter of your chosen section and watch them prepare the food, or at one of the tables near each section. You can also buy fresh fish, meats, bread, dried and fresh pasta and other high quality packaged food products near the respective sections. At the bread section, I saw two bakers, with expert hands and keeping a good pace, making bread dough and putting the ones that have already rested into a forno, trying to keep up with the keen demand of freshly baked breads.

I ate at EATALY a total of three times. Yes, shame on me, but you can't have too much of a good thing.

First time, I was seating at the Pesce section and I had grilled shrimp with couscous. The second time, I sat at the Pizza & Pasta section and ordered a Margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella. The third time, I sat at the Carne section and had a hamburger (sans bun), see picture on the right. I read that EATALY recently opened a branch in New York, in partnership with the Bastanich & Mario Batali clan, and also in Tokyo. I secretly hope that they will open one in San Francisco too!