Imagine shelves lined with gourmet pasta, sauces and Italian vino all within a short distance from your apartment. No, I’m not talking about the touristy North End, but about the beloved Italian gourmet supermarket and restaurant, Eataly. That’s right folks, the Boston Globe announced today that the Italian superstore is considering opening up shop right here in Boston. Rejoice!
Your life (and love for Italian fare) could be complete very soon. The Boston Globe reported this morning that celebrity chef Mario Batali and partners have “been scoping out Boston real estate for more than a year in search of another potential home for the Italian market.” And, Boston seems to have made its way to the top of the list.
Many of you may know about the 50,000-square-foot rustic Italian megastore that Batali and partners brought to New York City back in 2010. I myself have been (happily) lost in the masses of wine bottles, gourmet foods and frothy cappuccinos. In fact, I can’t think of a better way for an Italian food fan to spend their afternoon than immersed in Eataly’s winding in-store walkways.
And to give you an even better idea of what is to come (fingers crossed), the New York City location includes “seven restaurants, two coffeehouses, a wine shop, a bakery, and a gourmet grocery market that includes butcher, fish, and cheese counters, among other fare,” according to the Boston Globe.
Adam Saper, a managing partner, told the Boston Globe, “We think Boston would be a great city for Eataly…We’d love to do it sooner than later, but it’s a matter of fitting it in and wanting to do it the right way.”
But where does the Italian emporium plan to open? That is the question on everyone’s mind for now. It’s been reported that no lease has been signed, but speculation brews over a possible Faneuil Hall Marketplace location. The Boston Globe reports that Saper and his team are also looking at “buildings in Back Bay and other areas of the city. No agreements have been made, which means the marketplace could not open until at least 2015.”
In my opinion, opening up an Eataly location in the Hub makes perfect sense as Boston residents are clearly big fans of Italian food (North End, anyone?). Due to Eataly’s target demographic, it seems that Back Bay would make the most sense for a Boston flagship location. After all, with Charlestown’s and Beacon Hill’s very own Whole Foods, it seems those neighborhoods will probably be out of the equation. But I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.
We’ll keep you updated on new Eataly developments as we learn more. But here’s looking at you, 2015. And we thought Boston had great Italian food already.
Image via Business Insider
