Birreria & Eataly

A friend asked one night if I'd been toEataly. I had no idea what it was. As we didn't have access to the Internet at our apartment for the first 6 days of the 9 days we spent in NYC (we didn't have the password and Niece was travelling in Europe), I couldn't google. I vaguely remembered the word though, but couldn't remember where I saw it. We were to lunch with a friend's son and when we were hurrying to Birreria, the rooftop restaurant that overlooks Madison Square Garden, I looked at the address I had scribbled on my notebook. Anthony's directions were to go up to the "4th floor, above Eataly". That was where I had seen the word.

DSC_4539_1208x800
Birreria, a rooftop restaurant that serves fine food with great beer. Very packed.

DSC_4520_1208x800
Like a broken record, I'm going to repeat this over and over. USA/NYC is not expensive. Entrees (main courses) are between USD15 to 25 usually. In Malaysia, there's no way you can get a meat dish for that price. You shouldn't convert the currency either if you are to make a fair comparison. The only discouraging thing about eating out is the service charge. I can't get used to paying 15 to 18 % service charge. There's also tax of 5 % to pad up your bill.

DSC_4521_1208x800
The bread was just ordinary.

DSC_4532_1208x800
This was very good, whole roasted Maitake mushrooms, but the portion was small. Luckily we just had Puerto Rican food and doughnuts on the way to lunch. USD15.

DSC_4530_1208x800
Beer-braised pork shoulder. Good but again, rather small portion. USD22.

DSC_4531_1208x800
Anthony's chicken with tomato salad and Tuscan bread. The chicken was okay but it was the tomato salad that was outstanding. USD21.

I've since read up on Birreria and learnt that their sausages are the bomb. Dang.

On the ground floor of the building is Eataly, a food emporium owned by Mario Batali and two other Italian chefs. It is 4,600 meter sq (50,000 sq ft) and opened in 2010. A chef stepped in front of me and picked up some tomatoes and walked back to his stall. That is the concept of Eataly, that food should be at its freshest and best. If you love food, walking around and sampling the food in Eataly is heaven. I just had lunch and was ready to have a plate of proscuitto but my daughter protested. I promised myself that I'll be back to eat but never got the chance to pass by the place again.

DSC_4575_1208x800

DSC_4515_1208x800_1208x800
When you enter the store, you see the most beautiful and colorful display of the freshest choice veggies and fruits.

DSC_4565_1208x800
The store also has a houseware section.

DSC_4566_1208x800

DSC_4545_1208x800
And there's a quality food section where you can find cheeses, chocolates, meat and other high quality food.

DSC_4546_1208x800
There are also food stalls where you can eat gelato, coffee, bread, proscuitto and fine food from Italy standing up.

DSC_4570_1208x800

DSC_4549_1208x800

DSC_4550_1208x800
When your mom tells you to stand next to the artichokes, the best you can do is to look sultry. I think that's her message.

DSC_4573_1208x800

DSC_4563_1208x800

DSC_4558_1208x800

DSC_4568_1208x800

DSC_4555_1208x800

Eataly
200 5th Avenue
New York City

Birreria is on the fourth floor.

No comments:

Post a Comment