by Laura Tressel
High quality food is directly connected with a high quality life. This is a very strong belief throughout Italy, and with the products offered here, it is easy to understand why. Eating something that explodes with flavor can bring a great amount of happiness to a small moment. Families gather around dinner, making it a ritual that is as much about the preparation of homemade dishes as about the conversation and enjoyment of the meal itself. When looking for the ingredients for a quality meal and a quality life, where can you find the right products? The first place you might try is Eataly, a brand devoted to promoting food and the pleasure it brings to people.
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| The wall of pasta, with the best brands in the business. |
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| A wide variety of fresh cheese is offered. |
Eataly was developed in 2007 with its base concept being to promote and distribute the highest quality agricultural products that keep in mind the ideals of sustainability, responsibility, and sharing. Their first store opened in Turin, Italy, and now the brand has spread throughout the world. There are stores and restaurants in many of the big cities in Italy as well as New York, Chicago, Istanbul, Dubai, Japan, and Brazil. It's good to know that the comforts of authentic Italian food are available worldwide!
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| The store sells cooking, health, and lifestyle books. |
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| Giant tomatoes, labeled with their region of production. |
Walking into the Florence location (located on via die Martelli, right past Piazza Duomo) is like walking into a foodie dream. The bright space and white shelves create a clean backdrop for the products being offered. The store itself is divided by types of food. These include jams, pasta, sauces, olive oil, cheese, vegetables, meats, chocolate, wine, and more! The products are of the highest quality, and many of them are from the local region. On the walls, there are maps of Tuscany that point to the cities that certain products come from, assuring customers that the products are authentic.
Throughout the store there are different stands that offer fresh products such as coffee and sweets, pizza and bread, and fruit juices. The restaurants are upstairs, and the menus tempt hungry food lovers with their fresh ingredients and classic combinations. Also located in the Eataly building is a gourmet restaurant, Da Vinci. This restaurant shares the values of sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, and offers amazing, high end meals in a knowledgable, friendly environment.
Eataly prides itself on being very knowledgable about the products that it offers, and what makes a quality ingredient so good. Whether you go to shop or eat, you will discover something about food and food culture that you did not know before. Eataly is a place which promotes high quality Italian food and more importantly, high quality living.
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| At the bakery, you can purchase slices of pizza and freshly baked bread. |
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| Da Vinci Restaurant. |
