Perhaps not the best play on words but this stunning outdoor dining setup is right in the heart of Broadway’s backyard, Flatiron Square, just outside of Eataly in front of the iconic structure itself. With front and back patio dining here to stay, the chairs and decor of Il Patio di Eataly transport you to somewhere floral along the Mediterranean. The drinks and food take you there too.
Once seated you can’t help but feel like taking an Instagram worthy picture. Beautiful flowers line the outside of the dining space and greenery, and plants make you forget the street traffic and noise just on the other side. With a Rosespritz in hand, a pizza was the obvious choice for what to try first.
The menu boasts “Eataly has teamed up with the experts at Rossopomodoro to bring you this popular pizza style that can be found “al metro,” or by the meter, in the coastal region stretching down from Napoli.” This is known as Pizza Amalfi. Wood-fired and using the freshest of ingredients, each pizza sounds like it is worth trying. Because of the second main being meat heavy, I opted for the Burrata e Pomodoro- San Marzano tomato, Mozzarella di Bufala DOP, fresh burrata, and extra virgin olive oil.
Simple ingredients but some of the best possible foods on the planet- cheese and bread. Burrata you likely well know, is an Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. When cracked into it is perfectly spreadable and makes for a sweet addition to what could be a regular cheese pizza. What stands out in addition is that the pizza is wood fired in the aforementioned Almafi style. Thin dough, smoky, and covered with cheeses- nothing could be better- is really one of the most authentic pizzas I have had in the city. I would highly recommend grabbing one for yourself or even to share as an appetizer.
The before mentioned main, from the Piatti menu, is the Braciole. Stuffed Creekstone farms beef is immersed in tomato, herbs, and 18-Month Agriform Parmigiano Reggiano for a decadent main “dish” (translation of piatti). Once it arrived my mouth nearly dropped at the portion size of the beef. Not sure why I was so surprised considering it was exactly as described on the menu, the American in me expected sides to be included. No, this is a well made purely beef dish. Creekstone farms is known to provide quality beefs to some of the best retail and restaurant spaces. The Eataly chefs then know exactly what to do with it. Incredibly tender and perfectly pulls apart onto your fork with tomato sauté in every bite. It is not easy to cook beef to be this juicy and fulfilling to serve on its own. The addition of the herbs is just right, not too salty but still allowing for the beef to stand out. The perfect complement to a cheese and carb heavy pizza.
Service was quick with our meals coming before the complimentary bread even made its way to the table. The staff was friendly and provided plenty of compliments to our dog, something that is very important to me when evaluating an establishment. The drinks were refreshing in the summer heat and the plants and flowers under the umbrellas providing shade created an atmosphere that almost made you feel as if you were not in the middle of Manhattan. But not quite in the Almafi Coast exactly.
