Lingotto and History
The Lingotto district of Turin, Italy has long been known as the home of the Fiat factory, now converted into a shopping center and hotel. Lingotto was an industrial area that fell into industrial decline by the 1970s but is now seeing a grand revival. In 2006 the Winter Olympics were held in Turin with the Olympic Village and speed skating venue located in Lingotto.
The stage was set, however, for Lingotto to distinguish itself as a food destination when the Slow Food Movement set its biannual Salone del Gusto food exposition in the Lingotto Convention Center starting in 1996 (the Slow Food Movement itself started in the town of Alba, very near Turin).
In early 2007 Eataly opened its doors in its Lingotto location in the former Carpano Vermouth Factory. Its motto, seen on its sign, is “Alti Cibi,” which translates literally to “high foods,” and the store bills itself as the largest food and wine market in the world. Slow Food, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to food biodiversity and the preservation of traditional foods, acts as a strategic advisor to Eataly, indicating the store’s strong commitment to excellence.
Eataly: Shopping and Dining
The top floor of Eataly is now the Museo Carpano, a vermouth museum, and original items from the factory are still on exhibit. The rest of the building now houses more than 27,000 square feet of food and drink. Some people come to shop, others come to dine in the eight restaurants, two café bars, and a gelateria, The facility also has ten educational areas with a library and classrooms offering cooking classes.
The restaurants, called “ristorantini,” are organized thematically with one for pasta, and others for cheese and deli meats, pizza/foccaccia, meat, fish, vegetables/salads, beer, and there is also a formal restaurant GuidoPerEataly. The ristorantini have counter service set in the middle of the shopping area and are very casual and informal.
Shoppers have the advantage of access to high quality products from artisanal producers from around Italy but offered at sustainable prices. In the lower level the storage areas for cheese and prosciutto can be visited. Whether looking for pasta, rice, oil and vinegar, meat, cheese, wine, beer, or even water, items from around the country are carefully selected and available for purchase.
Though the store is very modern and large, in a country where small shops and local vendors are still the norm, even in large cities, Eataly is still retaining Italian sensibilities about food. The ice cream is homemade with raw milk and free of antibiotics. Fresh milk is available to customers who bring their own, clean bottles from home and fill them on site.
The garage at Eataly offers two hours of free parking, and from central Turin it can easily be reachedon bus #1 from the main train station in central Turin (Porto Nuovo). Eataly Torino is open daily 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The ristorantini and bars are open from noon to 3:00 pm daily and again from 7:00 p.m. to 10:15 pm.
The quick success of Eataly’s flagship store in Turin led to the rapid spread of additional stores. Though considerably smaller than the Turin location, Eataly can now be found in Bologna and Milan. Eataly now also has two locations in Japan, the largest Italian specialty food stores in that country.
New York City 2010
In mid-2010, the long awaited American Eataly is slated to open in New York City. The venture is backed jointly by Italian-Americans Mario Batali and Joe and Lydia Bastianich’s B&B Restaurant Group, together with the original creators, Oscar Farinetti and Luca Bassigo. B&B Restaurant Group already owns numerous , successful Italian restaurants around the United States. The New York location will be even larger than the original store, taking on a 32,000 square foot space at 200 5th Avenue.
Final plans for the space, including a large rooftop garden, have not yet been announced. Import restrictions and different food regulations will prevent certain items from the Italian store from being sold in New York, but the new store plans to include an Italian craft beer bar and retail shop, among many other offerings. The company has not announced any intentions to open additional stores in the United States at the moment.
Annabella Gualdoni - Annabella Gualdoni is a lawyer by education but works an educator and real estate professional. She has bought, sold, and renovated ...
