TWSF goes to the Big Apple, first stop: Eataly

TWSF took some time off from the labors of domestic life to vacation in NYC. I have not visited New York since family vacation and have been begging asking the other blogger to take me there for quite some time. This past weekend he finally gave me the amazing time that I had envisioned. Our weekend was filled with good friends and good food. A special thanks to our wonderful hosts...we had a blast. Our time in New York started off perfectly, the first thing we saw after getting off the bus was two guys pushing a rack of fur coats down the sidewalk, I felt like Carrie walking through the city with my Mr. Big and the rest of the weekend just kept getting better.

mmmm....cheesy.

I tried to do some food research prior to the trip, but found it a little overwhelming, apparently there is a lot to do in New York. Finally, Twitter informed us that Eataly,  a vast Italian food market, was the new attraction in town. We decided to see it for ourselves after stepping off the bus Midtown on Friday afternoon. Eataly is the combined efforts of founder Oscar Farinetti, Mario Batali, and Lidia and Joe Bastianich.  Their motto, "We Sell What We Cook, and We Cook What We Sell" penetrates the markets and eateries in this massive establishment.

We arrived just as Manzo was closing for lunch, so we sat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine and cheese plate. The Bastianich's wine was great, and one of the less expensive choices on the menu. After our afternoon delight, we maneuvered the crowd to view the offerings of the market. Eataly focuses on fresh, quality ingredients which was made obvious by the fresh mozzarella handmade daily on site. Counters filled with impressive cuts of meat, seafood, and cheeses are dispersed around the rows upon rows of dry pastas, sauces, olive oils, and anything else you’d find in a specialty Italian market. Upon walking up to the seafood counter we both exclaimed 'ohh sea urchin.' Eataly truly has everything found under the Italian sun, we picked up some thinly sliced sopressesta and fresh mozzarella as an appetizer before our dinner at Milon that night. What a way to kick off our food trek through New York.