Eataly with La Scuola In New York City

The first day I took the subway to the 23rd Street stop and ambled up passed the shops on this rapidly changing street, I found Eataly In New York City so packed with eager visitors, standing in line for at least a half-hour on a very hot afternoon was required. Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich, two of the Food Network's most popular chefs, have invested their talents in Eataly along with Joe Bastianich and founder Oscar Farinetti. The draw of these superstars of Italian food was such that I used my better judgment and waited for a week day afternoon, ten days later. The accompanying video will give you a general idea of the pleasant and taste tempting design of this marketplace/eatery, but if you are anywhere in shouting distance of New York City and like Italian food and/or cooking, this is a sight you will not want to miss.

Note: Eataly's website, according to the helpful women in their information booth, is "not ready yet," a not unusual problem that clearly has not hindered visitors. However, La Scuola, Eataly's Cooking School is sending out class schedules via email on request at: lascuola@eataly.com. Lidia Bastianich is listed as "Dean," and although one can hope, it seems unlikely this busy chef and business woman will have time to teach many classes.

Frustrated at not having been able to walk into Eataly on the day it opened, my wife, photographer Deborah Julian, made the best of the trip by stocking up on victuals while I tried not to annoy too many people while standing in their way while shooting with my Flip HD. Lidia Bastianich, luckily for me, became my wife's hero and, by way of PBS, teacher a few years ago. Now, we frequently eat like Italian royalty and shopping for Lidia-approved food while soaking up the atmosphere was essential.

Eataly In New York City

The gourmet Italian emporium is laid out so that negotiating the aisles and finding the island of your interest is easy, given the fifty-thousand square foot size of the space. A produce section, unfortunately sparse of items, is the first area that welcomes visitors. The produce itself is excellent, but apparently for space reasons, basics such as lettuce are missing.

Turn left instead of proceeding straight down passed the greens, and you are rewarded with a colorful selection of cookware, the kinds of pots and utensils you'd certainly expect to see in Lidia's own kitchen. You'd expect the finest foods to be prepared in such beautifully designed containers. On your right, find the first of several restaurants in Eataly. (See separate listing of all restaurants) This one is a bit more casual and, when we were there, far from crowded. Ahead is a rack of cookbooks sufficient to make any amateur chef's heart pound.

Lidia's signature sauces head a few rows of grocery store style items with the familiar pastas stacked high. Easy to miss here is an upper level dining area that occupies sheltered space along the wall, tables in a single row. I saw this area only because a family sitting up there caught my eye, and it was necessary to take a look around to find an entrance. By the look of the space overlooking the shoppers and diners, I suggest the experience may well be worth the effort spent in finding it.

Shelves full of olive oil of many varieties capture your attention as you wander by another restaurant. Pass through an opening, and you find yourself back at the top end of the produce aisle, an area favored by presentations of fine wines to be served at the restaurants.

Again, restrictions on space at this intersection mean that the "agri" section has limited selections that, however, are of such uniqueness and great quality you may ignore the lack of variety. I bought two containers of organic, green grass fed cow's milk yogurt that I have never seen anywhere before and found to have the exact qualities of flavor and texture I'd expect, having spent many days on our family farm as a kid and knowing what this stuff is really supposed to taste like.

Other carefully placed presentation areas concentrate on cheeses, meats, fish and bread.

The last major aisle, set smartly at the end to reflect the way people eat is populated with sweets, cookies, cakes and gelato. At the end, a cafe serving Italian coffee was tempting. We preferred gelato, but this mild summer afternoon found the lines too long to wait in.

Eataly was a delight to visit, and I'm sure I will do so many times. Opportunities await to watch developments along 23rd Street, the most recent of which is the return of Chock Full of Nuts, as a restaurant, just a few doors west of Eataly. Go see the place. You won't be disappointed. A list of the restaurants in Eataly is listed separately.

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La Piazza–stand up food and drinks bar

Il Pesce–seated counter and tables, includes a raw bag

Le Verdure–another seated counter and tables stop, featuring Italian style vegetables

La Pizza & La Pasta–fresh and dried pasta, plus Rossopomodoro pizza imported directly from Naples. (New Yorkers may finally find out what real pizza is like!)

Manzo–a formal dining experience "celebrating meat from the United States."

So, what are you waiting for?