Ecco Eataly

Ecco Eataly

Eataly (43 E. Ohio) is officially opening on December 2, with fine dining Baffo to open some weeks hence. It’s dedicated, somewhat unpredictably, to Oak Parker Ernest Hemingway, who spent more time in Italy than I'd realized. Apparently, he liked it there.



The Hemingway quote is apt: this store is an education-by-immersion in Italian foodways.

Supporting this educational effort are 24 of what the promotional literature describes as "eateries" (a hateful-sounding word, though I get it: restaurants, bars, stations), 10,000 products, and a "vegetable butcher" (I do not know what this is, but I'm sure I'll learn along with everyone else).

Eataly is immense, a little overwhelming, gorgeous and, ironically, right across the street from Uno’s, whose half-extinguished neon sign gazed somewhat sadly at its new neighbor.



There are quite a few Eataly locations. Chicago is the second in the U.S. (after New York, of course):



There’s wine, including a number from Joe Bastianich, a partner in Eataly with Lidia and Mario Batali.



Batali explained “This is one giant bar so people will have a drink and shop better.” That is a somewhat self-deprecating assessment, though there are lots and lots of shelves of stuff to buy, and some shelves were still being stocked as we walked through.





There’s a food court with counter after counter of fantastic-looking ready-to-eat food:









Batali stressed, though, that the idea is that this should all inspire the home cook: “When you taste something here, we want you to know you can make it.” Honestly, I'd rather have these guys do it.

Lidia Bastianich is about as nice an Italian lady as I’ve ever met. Surprisingly, she said 70% of the food served at Eataly is sourced domestically.



We also talked about Uno’s and the New York-Chicago pizza “controversy” fueled by Jon Stewart. Bastianich, with what I’m guessing is characteristic graciousness, said “I like Chicago deep-dish. It feels good in the mouth. We have something very similar in Sicily: sfincione."

Like I said, it’s going to be an education, and a tasty one.

Nice write-up. I'll be in the city in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely check it out.

http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2013/11/take-a-look-around-eataly-chicago.html?ref=title

Looks like a place I can spend all day at. Can't wait!

Will I see any of you here later today?

Heard via twitter that there is a huge line to get in.

mgmcewen wrote:Heard via twitter that there is a huge line to get in.

I heard it was 2 blocks long

No reports? How is it nobody on this board is posting about Eataly? Am I missing the real thread?

jpeac2 wrote:No reports? How is it nobody on this board is posting about Eataly? Am I missing the real thread?

Have you been?

Artie wrote:

mgmcewen wrote:Heard via twitter that there is a huge line to get in.

I heard it was 2 blocks long

We stopped in last night around 9PM (it's open until 11PM). No or very minimal lines, but the place was still pretty crowded: many tables filled with people eating pizza, charcuterie, etc. from various vendors. Kind of like an indoor street fair.

Produce was looking gorgeous and, somewhat surprisingly, the pricing was very reasonable on some items. There's definitely ways to spend thousands of dollars here, but if you're shopping for basics, it seems you will not be gouged.

A point that should be stressed is that Eataly buyers are making an effort here to source a lot of stuff locally from small producers. Scrumptious Pantry, owned and operated by Chicagoan Lee Greene, has its own rack of products, which is very encouraging.

disagree -- headed for lunch.

I think the indoor street fair is a good description. I was thinking along the lines of the glitzy nightclub of grocery stores, hip and trendy, congested and loud, with a strong upbeat vibe. I think this would be a wonderful place to go for a bite to eat with a friend, although snagging a place to sit would also be like getting a table at a crowded club. There were very few empty spaces to sit or stand and eat at, but I was there on opening day so crowds may thin out. I visited the New York location on a rainy weeknight, it was not new then, and it was also this crowded. A fun place to take your out of town guests. The kind of place where you wander and and enjoy when you are not on any sort of time schedule.

As far as solo grocery shopping goes, this place does not work for me. I enjoy food shopping, but I still think of it as a time budgeted task. While the inventory was very impressive, it was difficult to get waited on in the departments that required it. As people roam the store with large glasses of wine, their conversations get louder, longer and more animated. If you have to wait for the five people ahead of you to have a friendly discussion of cheese with sampling, your patience may run out. In some departments the counters are really high and wide, so having a conversation with the staff that are four feet away from you while several other conversations are going on next to you makes it seem chaotic. I was also hoping for more prepared take-home items that could become a quick dinner sides, but I did not see these. Possibly you could order these at the food/restaurant stations, yet it seemed to be no way to get waited on unless you were seated at a table, there were not even menus posted anywhere for you to look at. The shrimp at the fry station looked amazing.

I looked for street parking but naturally none was available, so I pulled up to the valet and asked about the parking deal I had read online, buy $20 get free parking. The valets knew nothing about this, $14 first hour, a few dollars more each hour after that, I was told. The concierge inside told me their lot was two blocks away on Grand but she was not sure which direction that was. Who wants to lug heavy bags of groceries several blocks? As the lines looked long at checkout and my hour might have been running out, I actually left without buying anything, and ironically, drove to Whole Foods to do my grocery shopping right afterwards. WF stays in my grocery rotation because they are one of q very few Chicago places where you can get fresh turmeric root, which we eat for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Well worth checking out, and as with many things, this place will appeal to some generations more than others. Be sure to admire the shiny gold pizza ovens!

Cinnamon Girl wrote: WF stays in my grocery rotation because they are one of q very few Chicago places where you can get fresh turmeric root, which we eat for its anti-inflammatory properties. !

Another being Fresh Farms.

and H Mart.

Just to be clear, this is not a "market" for grocery shopping. It is an Italian specialty market with the primary focus being consumption of food and beverage on site. Think Mitsuwa. Is Mitsuwa a market? Of course. Do you go grocery shopping there? No, not unless Japanese food is all you eat. If Italian food is all you eat, you could certainly fill your cart with stuff at Eataly, but I think it's pretty obviously a place you go to enjoy a meal, dessert, maybe some wine or coffee and pick up a few delicious items to take home to use. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the run up to this place but I'd be shocked if they promoted it as anything other than this. And the parking garage for which they validate is directly across the street with entrances on both Ohio and Wabash--not several blocks away.

I enjoyed it. I didn't eat there as I was meeting friends for drinks and dinner after but I did have a nice walk through, compiled a couple of "taste of Eataly" gifts, one of which may make an appearance at a certain upcoming grab bag. I also visited the charcuterie counter and it was definitely busy but not a long wait with excellent service once it was my turn. The two kinds of Sopressata I picked up were very good ("research" for an upcoming DIY project). I look forward to returning with more time to browse. The place is ENORMOUS.

boudreaulicious wrote: And the parking garage for which they validate is directly across the street with entrances on both Ohio and Wabash--not several blocks away.

thanks for the heads up/clarification on the parking. Really helps folks like me who dont live in the city - parking is a concern.

boudreaulicious wrote:Just to be clear, this is not a "market" for grocery shopping. It is an Italian specialty market with the primary focus being consumption of food and beverage on site.

Actually, according to Mario Batalli, Eataly is indeed a market for grocery shopping. The idea is that you can sample stuff there (both ingredients and finished dishes) and then everything to prepare it at home (including recipes) is available in the store. He claims that the goal is to get people to actually cook the food you try there.

I enjoyed my little sojourn to Eataly quite a bit. It was around 4:45 pm, so it wasn't outrageously crowded but it got to be over the course of my 30 minute visit. I've been sort of a Scrooge thus far this season and with the presence of no Christmassy stuff in sight, I felt happy just wandering the store and looking at all the abundance everywhere. I really wanted to spend $70 on a big pancetta from Salume in Seattle, but alas -- it's just not something I can do. I might go get a tiny bit of some time. This place will never be a routine experience for me -- it's far too pricey across the board -- but there are some delightful things for special occasions or when you want to splurge a bit.

Ultimately, I picked up ciabatta, which was quite good, and has held its crust on the second day, a piece of the sugared brioche, which was yummy, some italian sausage to try this weekend and a nice block of Romano for about $8. I think this place is going to be excellent for any food gifting.

I didn't try any of the restaurants -- but I'm wondering if there is an option to take out a sandwich. It didn't look like it and that is a bit disappointing. However, the place is so big that I'm not surprised that I couldn't find it. I'll be back again and again, I'm certain, but I did go over to the nearby Trader Joe's to pick up olive oil. 6.99 versus 15.99 is a big deal for me.

I definitely think this is a great addition to the River North area. But, probably not every day. At least for me.

stevez wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Just to be clear, this is not a "market" for grocery shopping. It is an Italian specialty market with the primary focus being consumption of food and beverage on site.

Actually, according to Mario Batalli, Eataly is indeed a market for grocery shopping. The idea is that you can sample stuff there (both ingredients and finished dishes) and then everything to prepare it at home (including recipes) is available in the store. He claims that the goal is to get people to actually cook the food you try there.

The PR machine can say whatever it wants. That doesn't make it true. And, technically, he's correct--you can buy what you'd need to make a wonderful Italian meal. However, just because you can buy enough items to make a meal, doesn't make it a place for grocery shopping, which, to me, means being able to stock your shelves and fridge for that week's meals. Unless of course, you have the financial means and the desire for all of your meals to be comprised of gourmet, Italian specialty food

I found the prices to be reasonable for the quality and selection of items by the way--I don't think they're gouging or even especially "touristy." But I don't consider it a place that competes with Whole Foods or TJs. I think there's plenty of room for all, especially when you consider that, based on the amount of real estate devoted to it, their main focus has to be dining on premise.

boudreaulicious wrote:Just to be clear, this is not a "market" for grocery shopping. It is an Italian specialty market with the primary focus being consumption of food and beverage on site. Think Mitsuwa. Is Mitsuwa a market? Of course. Do you go grocery shopping there? No, not unless Japanese food is all you eat.

Huh? Many (of not most) people go to Mitsuwa for grocery shopping. The food court there was designed as a support function to the grocery shopping. The fact that one of the best ramen shops in the country just happened to take a slot in the food court makes the whole complex an even greater draw. Having visited Eataly yesterday just to walk around the place, I think I understand your point about food consumption. However, Mitsuwa was not the best comparison.

And as an additional observation, I think Eataly has done an excellent job of mixing in eating with shopping. Rather than having a separate food court area (like Mitsuwa), the store is divided into food type areas that have both eating and shopping. So at the seafood area, you can buy fresh oysters at the counter, or order some on the half-shell at an adjacent counter. Having the holiday shoppers there for opening week makes it a very lively place.

When I was there the concierge told me specifically that they had tried to buy rights to the parking lot directly across the street on Ohio but could not do so which is why their lot was somewhere farther. boudreaulicious can you please verify, did you actually park in that lot on Ohio and get your ticket validated? Thank you, I would really like to know this.

Chicago Hokie wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Just to be clear, this is not a "market" for grocery shopping. It is an Italian specialty market with the primary focus being consumption of food and beverage on site. Think Mitsuwa. Is Mitsuwa a market? Of course. Do you go grocery shopping there? No, not unless Japanese food is all you eat.

Huh? Many (of not most) people go to Mitsuwa for grocery shopping. The food court there was designed as a support function to the grocery shopping. The fact that one of the best ramen shops in the country just happened to take a slot in the food court makes the whole complex an even greater draw. Having visited Eataly yesterday just to walk around the place, I think I understand your point about food consumption. However, Mitsuwa was not the best comparison.

And as an additional observation, I think Eataly has done an excellent job of mixing in eating with shopping. Rather than having a separate food court area (like Mitsuwa), the store is divided into food type areas that have both eating and shopping. So at the seafood area, you can buy fresh oysters at the counter, or order some on the half-shell at an adjacent counter. Having the holiday shoppers there for opening week makes it a very lively place.

I did qualify it--if you can do your weekly shopping and get everything you need at Mitsuwa, you have a different weekly menu than I do. Mitsuwa has a much wider selection of goods than Eataly and I still wouldn't be able to get everything I need for my weekly food needs there, though I do love it when I wish to cook Asian food. I didn't say that Mitsuwa and Eataly are the same place. Sorry if the comparison didn't suit you. I want to be very clear--I don't think Eataly (or Mitsuwa) NEEDS to be a conventional market. I don't think that's what they're going for, regardless of Mario's comments about being able to cook a meal from what you can buy there. It's a fun, different shopping and eating experience. Can't we just enjoy that for itself?

We went to eataly Tuesday evening to check it out. Arrived about 5:30 and were able to snag a standing four top at the wine bar. Soon thereafter not a table to be found. Had some wine and charcuterie and just took in the scene. It is very lively and seems just perfect for the holidays. We also picked up some Italian sausage. The mild was ok but the hot was probably the worst we have ever had. I seriously couldn't believe how bad it was. Earthlydesire, I will be curious what you think. Overall a fun place to grab a glass of wine and wander around.

abolt wrote:The mild was ok but the hot was probably the worst we have ever had. I seriously couldn't believe how bad it was.

It's a drag to bring unsatisfactory products back to the store (and I realize you may have dumped it), but I'd be interested in seeing how they handle a complaint like that.

boudreaulicious wrote:

Chicago Hokie wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Just to be clear, this is not a "market" for grocery shopping. It is an Italian specialty market with the primary focus being consumption of food and beverage on site. Think Mitsuwa. Is Mitsuwa a market? Of course. Do you go grocery shopping there? No, not unless Japanese food is all you eat.

Huh? Many (of not most) people go to Mitsuwa for grocery shopping. The food court there was designed as a support function to the grocery shopping. The fact that one of the best ramen shops in the country just happened to take a slot in the food court makes the whole complex an even greater draw. Having visited Eataly yesterday just to walk around the place, I think I understand your point about food consumption. However, Mitsuwa was not the best comparison.

And as an additional observation, I think Eataly has done an excellent job of mixing in eating with shopping. Rather than having a separate food court area (like Mitsuwa), the store is divided into food type areas that have both eating and shopping. So at the seafood area, you can buy fresh oysters at the counter, or order some on the half-shell at an adjacent counter. Having the holiday shoppers there for opening week makes it a very lively place.

I did qualify it--if you can do your weekly shopping and get everything you need at Mitsuwa, you have a different weekly menu than I do. Mitsuwa has a much wider selection of goods than Eataly and I still wouldn't be able to get everything I need for my weekly food needs there, though I do love it when I wish to cook Asian food. I didn't say that Mitsuwa and Eataly are the same place. Sorry if the comparison didn't suit you. I want to be very clear--I don't think Eataly (or Mitsuwa) NEEDS to be a conventional market. I don't think that's what they're going for, regardless of Mario's comments about being able to cook a meal from what you can buy there. It's a fun, different shopping and eating experience. Can't we just enjoy that for itself?

Bottom line is that it depends on your definition of "grocery shopping" - this is a weird thing to be arguing about. Some people want to get all their grocery shopping done in one place at one time - that's fine. Some people go to multiple places (like me) to grocery shop throughout the week - that's also fine. Narrowly tailoring a definition of "grocery shopping" seems trivial to me...

Cinnamon Girl wrote:When I was there the concierge told me specifically that they had tried to buy rights to the parking lot directly across the street on Ohio but could not do so which is why their lot was somewhere farther. boudreaulicious can you please verify, did you actually park in that lot on Ohio and get your ticket validated? Thank you, I would really like to know this.

I wasn't driving so I didn't see what the validation deal was but there were prominent signs at both garage entrances (I happened to walk past both because I forgot where Berkshire room was LOL) identifying it as the Eataly parking venue. I've sent a message to them to check though. I'll let you know what I hear.

Anyone notice if they carry bottarga? I believes JP Graziano carries it from time to time but Eataly is a bit more convenient for a far northsider.

Looking forward to making a trip down sometime after the holidays.

They have bottarga in NYC at Eataly there; I would expect they would have it in Chicago as well.

Bottarga lines the fish counter, which is one gorgeous collection of aquatic beasts.

Great, looks like I can add pasta with bottarga to the NYE menu. Thanks

Cinnamon Girl wrote:When I was there the concierge told me specifically that they had tried to buy rights to the parking lot directly across the street on Ohio but could not do so which is why their lot was somewhere farther. boudreaulicious can you please verify, did you actually park in that lot on Ohio and get your ticket validated? Thank you, I would really like to know this.

Confirmed. Wabash/Ohio/Rush Self Park $20 minimum purchase. 1st hour free. $10 flat rate after. Obtain validation ticket on your way out from the cashier.