At the beginning of 2017, chef Mario Batali and businessman Oscar Farinetti announced that Eataly, an Italian marketplace that was first opened in New York City, would soon be coming to the West Coast. Intended to provide customers with an authentic Italian eating experience, Eataly is comprised of a variety Italian food retailers and restaurants who sell produce and products either locally sourced or directly shipped to the markets by high quality sources in Italy. Eataly currently has two locations in NYC and one in Chicago; the opening date of Eataly in Los Angeles has yet to be announced but it is currently under construction at the Westfield Mall in Century City.

Eataly is exceptionally interesting due to its genuine Italian environment. The marketplace’s objective is to introduce a large spectrum of Italian cuisine to the public. By implementing ingredients and products sourced from Italy, Eataly has been able to effectively open doors to new and uncommon Italian dishes and cooking styles. At the Flatiron location of Eataly in NYC, stores within Eataly have to be restocked two times a day as a result of the demand of quality products. The Eataly location in LA is expected to have the same outcome, with the potential of having an even larger customer base, evident in the overwhelmingly positive initial response from Angelenos.

“I am ecstatic about Eataly coming to Los angeles,” said junior Jackson DeSpain. “My beautiful girlfriend Teya and I went to Eataly in New York and I have never tasted better Italian food in my entire life.”

While the date of Eataly’s opening in Los Angeles has yet to be announced, foodies all around Los Angeles expect wonderful Italian food in the near future. The restaurant is rumored to open its doors in late 2017 or early 2018. For more information on Eataly, go to www.eatalyla.com.