we reluctantly tore ourselves away from Rome last week, and are slowly adjusting to being back in the Central time zone.
Many of you have kindly let me know that you enjoyed the previous blogs from this trip. However, all four of the cover about four hours of our five week visit. There are 5,323 photos (don't worry, you won't be bombarded with even a fraction of them), so I will try to put in a new posting now and then even though we are back home.
This posting is from that phenomenal success "EATALY". As the name suggests, food and Italy are what these stores offer. I bunged a flock of photos on the Chicago EATALY after its opening here last fall. The one in Rome is at three times as large as the behemoth 66,000 square foot one here! A rarity in Rome, there are 600 parking spaces available outside the store.
This link will take you to a 2012 New York Times article on the Rome EATALY, and give all the useful statistics.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/travel/in-rome-a-new-branch-of-eataly.html?_r=0
I'll start with a map, to give the relative position of the store. (There is more info on how to arrive there at the very end of this post.) This link will take you to Google Maps for this location.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Eataly+Roma/@41.871148,12.486573,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xb99cb38fff9044eb
 |
| The above map shows EATALY in the thick lined purple circle, and the Colosseum in the smaller circle. |
EATALY is not easy to find, as it is housed in a failed attempt at making an airline check-in area at a train station along the rail line that leads out the to main airport. It is reasonable to assume that the proprietors received a lower than "Main Street" rent for their taking over this decades-long empty "white elephant".
This aerial view from Google may help. Yup, it is on the side of a railroad station.
So, let's go in and see all the treats.
On the ground floor are VERY fresh fruits and veggies.
 |
Throughout the store are shelves and shelves of sauces, condiments, specialty veggies and endless treats. |
 |
These are very high-class pastas. Ordinary, run-of-the-mill types can be bought in normal supermarkets for about 0.70 Euros, these are three times those prices, or double the cost of the "better" brands. As of April, 2014, you need nearly $1.40 US to buy one Euro. Yes, of course these cook up nicer, have unusual shapes, and taste better. However, there is nothing "wrong" with the run of the mill cheapies. |
 |
The architects created very high-tech looking ramp escalators, with nearly invisible side partitions, to not clutter up the store. There are elevators if one prefers. |
 |
It felt as if there were acres of wine shelves in the store. |
 |
We were leaving Rome in a few days, so there was no point in buying much. There were some "lower price" wines,
but most of their offerings were not for the plebs.
There were far too many wines to look at without committing to
a three hour visit, many that never, ever make the journey across
the pond to the USA.
|
 |
| Even MORE wine! |
 |
There are over a dozen restaurant areas, as well as a couple of coffee bars and also wine bars. |
 |
| We were there about 7 p.m., so the dinner rush had not yet started. Very few Italians eat dinner before 8 p.m., as many do not return home from work until sometime after 7. Although I am a vegetarian, I could appreciate the sights of all these specialty sausages, salamis, hams, prosciuttos, and meats. Emil looked sad having to pass these up, especially the "wild boar" sausages. |
The architects arranged for some dramatic views inside the store, and took advantage of what they could for the outside views. The view over the rail tracks probably does not even impress "train spotters".
 |
| This view, although partially over the train tracks, is more interesting, as it extends northeast past the Porta San Paolo (Gate of St. Paul) and an ancient Roman pyramidal tomb all the way to the dome of St. Peter's. |
As in their Chicago store, the Rome EATALY has a micro brewery on premises, as well as a nice beer drinking area. They also have their own wood-burning ovens on the premises, with delightful fragrances arising. There is undoubtedly
more bread on offer earlier in the day.
The Rome EATALY price for their bread is far more than what local bakeries charge, although few of them have bread done in a wood burning oven anymore.
 |
| Yes, there is a taste and texture difference from wood burning ovens. That wood flavor is a treat on pizza slices. |
 |
The loaves above are priced at 3.60 Euros per kilo, or
$5.00 US for 2.2 pounds, about half the price as in Chicago.
|
There were also several LARGE counters for cheeses!!!
(These also are not what I can eat, but one can dream . . . )
There were kindly clerks ready to slice up or weigh out
as little or as much of these Italian regional treasures
as one wished to buy.
 |
| OK, so the Stilton is from the ancient Roman colony of Britannia, the army outpost "Londinium". |
 |
| There was a special section with "food for thought". Some of these books are less "serious" than others. Lower left is one on how to defend oneself from anyone from Naples. In fairness, they are also offering the adjacent book on how to defend oneself from the Romans. These two seemed to be on the level of the old-fashioned "Polish jokes" I remember from my childhood. Italy may be one country, but regional differences and prejudices still are noticeable. |
 |
| Yet another coffee bar, complete with a high powered, rollicking engine of caffeine delights. Emil said the espresso he had from there was alright for Rome, but that he would be grateful to have one even of such an "average" quality at home in Chicago. |
 |
This place would not be EATALY or in Italy without desserts. I have noticed in cafes over the past few years a wider choice of seemingly "lighter" desserts and treats. (If one counts treats made with egg yolks, cream, chocolate and sugar as "lighter". Could the desserts on the left named "CHIC" have fewer calories than their old-fashioned neighbors "English Soup"?) Are these little treats worth 5 Euros or $7.00 US? I dunno. You'll have to come and try them for yourselves. |
 |
| A last view down to the ground floor. There are four levels in this store, but the last one is a bit under-used, with conference rooms, training kitchens, more eateries, et cetera. |
 | |
It was too late to go home and cook dinner. We were able to catch a local bus for the 3/4 mile ride to our next destination, a favorite restaurant just past the Porta San Paolo. I'll do a short post on some of our favorite restaurants in the next posting.
****************************** Here's some more info on HOW to arrive at EATALY in Roma. The reviewer in the NY Times talked about underground passages from the Metro Station, a gloomy route, but undoubtedly shorter than going around on the outside. I didn't try that route. A local bus, either the 673 or the 716 can bring you very close. It is a walkable distance, and these buses are not very frequent.  The dotted blue box surrounds the Porta San Paolo. Many buses go through there, some go to the train station, others proceed further south. The black arrow at left points to where you can easily nab southbound buses. 
This is the via Ostiense, past the viaduct, looking south.
These photos are from googlemaps, partly because I'm not
sufficiently swift of foot to photograph
in the middle of a very busy street.
It may look a little "run down" here,
but it is safe enough in daylight.
Off to the left, the direction you will be turning,
are newer, slightly upscale apartment buildings.
Below is the via P. Matteucci, the first real street south of the train viaduct, (in rear at left) leads to the large,
long Piazzale XII ottobre 1492. There now is a small sign saying EATALY with a right arrow, but it is easy to miss.
(yellow arrow on map)  Eataly's entrance is around the right side of the round-roofed building.
Have a great time! Ciao, Carol
end of blog entry |
No comments:
Post a Comment