Eataly

Thanks to Richard Tulloch’s blog, I know that  “In 2007 an old Vermouth factory was converted into a light filled temple to all things culinary.”  Eataly certainly is a food lovers’ temple.  I visited for the first time last year and managed a second trip in October 2010 when we were in Torino for the Salone del Gusto.  We left one food mecca for another.  While Salone del Gusto happens once every 2 years, Eataly is a permanent market for the lucky Torino dwellers.

The area is huge.  As well as fresh produce, which is the best available, fresh and beautifully displayed, dozens of types of olive oil, pasta, rice, tinned vegetables and all the things you expect to find in Italy, are here.  Making a decision on which one to buy is a nightmare.  Clearly it is necessary to come to Torino, rent an apartment for a few months and work your way through them all.

There are several options for lunch or a snack.  We were there fairly early in the day, so it wasn’t very busy, but the last time we went we had to queue and do a fair amount of hovering, pushing and shoving to get a table.  Italians don’t know how to queue, and if you don’t develop sharp elbows and an attitude you just might starve.

It is truffle season, so there was an area set up for the eating of this delicious fungus.  They might look like nasty lumps of mud, but they taste and smell wonderful.

Downstairs is the wine and beer area.  The wine is arranged into wine growing regions, making it easy to find.

 There is a bookshop and kitchen area, making it a one stop destination for those lucky enough to live close enough to make it a regular place to do their food shopping.  There is a smaller Eataly in Bologna, one in Rome and they have recently opened in new York.

I wonder if we will ever get an Eataly in Australia.