Entering Eataly in New York City was like walking into the eye of the storm. The food, drink and ambience were a microcosm of every Italian restaurant and grocery store I’d ever enjoyed. I spent hours looking, recognizing names of olive oils, pasta, truffle sauces, delighting in my gastronomic tour. In the end, we sat in the restaurant and ordered a grilled fish. What an experience! It was like a trip to Italy without a passport
When it was announced that Eataly was opening in Toronto, and in my own neighborhood, I counted down the days. I was among the first to arrive that morning, and I was not disappointed. While smaller than the New York store, it was all here. The cheeses, the fish and seafood, the extraordinary butcher shop, fruits and vegetables, the myriad varieties of pasta, dried and fresh, and the massive display of olive oils and balsamico. And the pizza. All is arranged in a carefully cluttered, non-intimidating style. Each display entices us (in Italian) please pick meeee!
A few years have passed since that opening, and I tend to visit Eataly at least once a week. I have enjoyed all the restaurants, the takeout barbecued chicken, the prepared ravioli, the Gelato counter, and I have my favorites.
Eataly does not rest on its laurels. It does not allow us to get bored and say, “been there, done that.” An excellent example of creativity is a new pop-up restaurant, Alpina. The menu harkens back to a visit I had not too long ago in the Dolomite Mountain range in Italy.
At lunch, we do not look out at mountains, only Bloor and Bay traffic, but it is totally forgivable once we begin enjoying our ultra-fresh Italian dishes. Bruschetta Invernale is a serving of thick slices of grilled house-made sourdough bread which we slather with whipped ricotta, add some roasted butternut squash and the iconic Urbani truffle honey. Ahh, for the luxe life where I could enjoy this every day for breakfast. Across the table, my friend is enjoying a dish rarely found in Italian restaurants hereabouts, Frittatini di Cacio e Pepe, deep fried nubbins that taste as interestingly poetic as its name.
Burrata e Funghi makes me smile, it is a simply adorable round white cheese, the size of a baseball, tied at the top like a peasant’s pouch. Cut through the firm exterior and luscious soft cheese runs out over the roasted wild mushrooms and garlic confit. I wish I had ordered a glass of Italian rosé wine to pair with this dish. All I can handle now is a lovely Insalata Aricola made up of a toss of fresh arugula and Agriform Parmigiano Reggiano DOP with tangy lemon dressing. And they serve a house specialty, Barbabietole, marinated beets, creamy Ricotta cheese, some fresh herbs and the surprise of pistachio. Health gurus have recently re-discovered the qualities of beets, all the more virtuous enjoyment we have by eating this vegetable. Tagliolinei al Limone is a luscious tangle of house-made pasta, tossed with fine Stirling butter, lemon and Pecorino Romano DOP.
A lovely Italian coffee ends our lunch, and not a moment too soon, since the servers are bustling about, closing the restaurant between lunch and dinner.
But my afternoon continues, with a shopping sweep of the store. I could use a glass jar of red peppers in olive oil, a fresh sourdough bread and some of that wonderful fresh Tagliolini.
A Taste of Alpina, two course lunch is $24. And will be on-going until March.
