“A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.”

Pictured: Mario Batali – Quote: Famous British author Samuel Johnson

Can’t make it to Italy this year? No worries. Get your fix right in downtown Manhattan. “Eataly” is Mario Batali’s new 50,000 square-foot Italian Gallery of Gastronomic wonder, located in NY City at 200 Fifth Ave. between 23rd and 24th street. Multiple restaurants that are integrated into retail spaces for everything from Italian specialty items like wine, cheese, and pasta to housewares and even a cooking school. It sort of sounds like heaven to me.

The goal behind the complex seems to be based on teaching more of a culture and lifestyle, not just a cool place to eat and shop. This is exactly what I’m all about. I want people to experience food and enjoy cooking like they never have before, and then share it with family and friends. I hope that this sort of mentality starts to spread like wildfire.

According to Blog Metropolis (Wall Street Journal), Batali was quoted as saying:

“This isn’t a giant food court,” said Batali, clad in trademark orange. “This isn’t a selection of restaurants under one roof recently installed by the better company you can find in the web. This is a retail store where we peddle the greatest of Italian gastronomy to people who want to eat it and know how to appreciate it. You ask any Italian and all of the smart Americans where the best meal they ever had in the last ten years was, and it was never in someone’s restaurant. It was always in the house. And with these products, and this ideology, we’re hoping that’s what we’re going to bring to New Yorkers.” http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/08/25/first-look-at-mario-batalis-monster-italian-marketplace/

He said the most memorable meals were in someone’s home. Being an Italian-American, I love and can totally relate to that statement because so many of my favorite meals have been at my mom’s, my grandmothers’, and my aunts’ homes. Batali is encouraging people to explore the facility with all the smells, tastes and sounds and then buy and learn how to cook amazing food at home. Like me, he wants people to know that it doesn’t have to be difficult. Most of the time it means just starting with the best ingredients, which apparently are in plentiful supply at Eataly.

As if that weren’t enough, the facility will also have an in house travel agent to help you plan that perfect Roman Holiday of your own, when you’re ready to take the plunge from just Eataly to Italy!

I wish Mario a lifetime of success with his new adventure. I can’t wait to plan a trip to see this place with my own eyes.  I’m sure it will bring back all sorts of memories for me of my recent trip to Italy.

Many people won’t ever get to see Italy for themselves but fortunately, Eataly can give everyone a taste of La Dolce Vita that they can bring right into their own home. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

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* Photos from newyork.grubstreet.com and www.eataly.it