Italian Food HEAVEN at Eataly LA
I can't believe these words are about to come out of my mouth but I officially died and went to food heaven.
This last Monday I FINALLY visited Eataly LA which just opened at the newly renovated Century City mall. Eataly was by far one of the most anticipated openings within the mall and as a result the lines were long from day one. That being said, I knew there was no way in HELL I would be getting in on a weekend - a.k.a. the only time I could venture out to Century City Mall - so when the opportunity presented itself on a weekday - shoutout MLK for the long weekend - I made a beeline for Eataly.
It's absolutely dangerous from the moment you walk in. I mean, you walk in on the dessert floor. Mistake numero uno for me! Having the sweet tooth that I do I was immediately overcome with emotion seeing all the amazing pastries and gelato and Italian desserts. I felt like I was transported back in time to spending my twenty-first birthday in Italy enjoying gelato and wine every single day. #ItalyDiet.
Anyway, if you can manage to pry yourself away from the oh so very tempting gelato case and make your way upstairs, there you will find the "adult food."
I've come to realize, Eataly uses a lot of the same tactics groceries stores do. (Bear with me here.) Eataly makes you walk alllllll the way through the pizzas and pastas and delicious sides and treats and spices and wines to get to the actual sit down restaurant area similar to how grocery stores place milk and eggs (something most people look for) at the back of the store through all the cookies and chips and junk food!
Groceries stores' tactics don't get me like that. Eataly on the other hand... I was set up for failure from the beginning. My Italian roots were screaming out, trying to make themselves known by devouring ALL the carbs I was presently walking through.
I will admit the phrase "I'm so overwhelmed" came up numerous times. And that I was.
Everywhere you looked something else looked scrumptious. I accepted the fact that it was damn near impossible to maintain my normal diet at Eataly - Pasta, Bread and Wine are three main food groups there after all - and continued perusing the selection.
I don't think there's a single item on here that doesn't sound amazing.
We finally made our way to the back of the Italian supermarket and stood in line for the restaurant. Imagine that, 1:30pm on a Monday, still a line! Thankfully it went pretty fast and we were seated at the pizza station bar in no time.
Imagine being STARVING and sitting at the pizza station bar, watching numerous pizzas being made right in front of your eyes. #TheStruggleIsReal
The restaurant area itself was spacious and beautiful. With views overlooking the city, it offered lots of room to sit, eat and enjoy the views as well as the food. Our waitress helped us immediately and despite the crowd of the afternoon, our wait time was minimal.
For starters we each ordered a glass of wine and the mozzarella bar appetizer plate which was absolutely to die for. With olives, squash and a fresh pistachio pesto we were quickly full off the appetizer alone.
And that was just the beginning! Talk about appetizer goals.
Then came time for the main courses. Adam ordered Agnolotti while I stuck with the Quattro Formaggi pizza. Again I was transported back in time, this time going back to Bali where we had the most amazing four cheese pizza from the Italian restaurant at the front of our hotel. We ate pizza under the covered patio as rain poured just feet away. That night we had the best pizza I've ever had in my life.
I still dream about this pizza.
Delicious AND cute – Look at those teeny tiny pasta noodles!
This last Monday, I believe the pizza I consumed surpassed that Bali pizza.
When the pizza was first served I knew it was going to be necessary for me to share but as I took my first bite, I looked at my boyfriend and told him he better hurry if he wants any part of this pie! It was THAT good! I was confident I could devour that entire thing on my own.
Which if you know me at all, you know that's incredibly shocking coming from the girl who has sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts for lunch every day. Anywayyy...
Eataly is an absolute must! Everything from the decor to the ambiance to the menu - is incredible! No doubt the best meal I've had of 2018. While we're only about 3 weeks in, I know it's going to be hard to beat.
(Originally Published January 21, 2018)