I Heart Eataly.

When Mario Batali, one of the masterminds behind Eataly welcomed me to the Italian marketplace last night, the experience easily became one of the highlights of my six years living in NYC. My boyfriend and I celebrated a year and a half together yesterday and with all the attention and rave reviews Eataly has been getting, we decided to spend the evening exploring NYC’s newest venture in fresh food which opened just a few days ago. The two of us both love fresh, wholesome food and Eataly is a grandiose success at delivering such fare. It’s the kind of place that makes me proud to be a New Yorker — and an Italian.

The philosophy is about delivering the tastes and smells of Italy, where cooking is simpler and ingredients are fresh and inspiring the customer to re-create the experience at home.

Whether you’re looking for milk, cheese, bread, pasta, wine, produce, gelato, a side of beef, fish, cookbooks, kitchen supplies, olive oil, gelato, espresso, pizza, cooking classes, a travel agency or an array of authentic Italian grocery items, Eataly has it to purchase and much of it can be consumed on the spot in one of the restaurants. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Shopping carts and baskets lined up at the entrance

Food philosophies after my own heart

Local, organic dairy from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy

TONS of organic green veggies and herbs

Fresh, vibrant produce

Socializing in La Piazza

Freshly-made pasta

Fresh fish

Celebrity chef sighting

Making bread

Macelleria

Desserts by Luca Montersino

Floor to ceiling olive oil and other authentic Italian goods.

This visit helped us get the lay of the land and we’re looking forward to a return shopping visit this weekend. A rooftop beer garden is set to open sometime this Fall so in the meantime, we enjoyed a glass of rose at the bar at Manza, the establishment’s steak restaurant.