Birreria!!!
It seems like I've been waiting forever for the opening of Eataly's rooftop restaurant but last night it finally happened. Mr T and I were walking around Eataly and noticed a security guard standing at the entrance. I asked him what was going on and he said "20 minutes till opening". WTF! I was in line waiting immediately. Soon we were up in the elevator and walking onto the open patio was amazing! I absolutely loved the beautiful wooden staircase painted with various phrase's from Dante’s Divine Comedy.
We knew we wanted to eat dinner but I felt like checking out the bar scene so instead of sitting at one of the red tables in the middle we grabbed a few seats at the bar. I started out with one of their cask brews an Eataly Pale Ale.
This had nice golden hues and standard hops- a very tasty Pale Ale. For the more adventurous beer drinker I would suggest the Gina- a Thyme Pale Ale which brought a spicy kick to the front and tasted extremely refreshing on the hot sunny evening. Since Birreria doesn't technically open until June 3rd they didn't have all the beers ready just yet. There will be at least two more additional cask brews made right there at Eataly in their Copper Clad Brew System. The first an English Mild made with chestnuts and a American Wheat brewed with peppercorns. Additional seasonal brews may be rotated in and out as the year goes on as well.
For food the menu is split up into seven parts. Cheeses, Salume, Salads, Mushrooms, Entrees, Sides and finally three different kinds of Pork Shoulder and Sausages. We decided to start out with a nibble of Cacciatorni a Piemonte "hunter's style" Pork Salame.
You'll notice the regular fluffy Eataly bread from downstairs up top and the hearty chunks of salame on the bottom. I believe this is described as "hunter's style" since it was usually the carry along food of huntsmen and eaten on the go. There was something so satisfying about each hunk of meat. It was on the tougher side with big flavors of pepper up front but with a smooth and balanced finish. This was the perfect food for beer drinking. After ordering some of our favorite Dogfish Head beers (Raison D'etre for me and 90 Minute for Mr. T) we split an entree.
Wow look at this massive Pork Chop! This dish reminded me of the Pork Chop I enjoyed at Babbo. The meat was so moist and had definitely been drizzled with some awesome olive oil alongside crispy fried Yukon Gold Potatoes and lots of peppers and onions. Be aware this dish is spicy! All of those little minced up peppers at the bottom really pack a punch. I could only handle so much and focused strictly on the meat after a few vicious swigs of water. However I'm kind of weak in that respect- Mr. T thought it was perfect and demolished this dish within minutes. For $24 you can't go wrong with ordering this plate.
I was going to finish up with a glass of wine from one of their fabulous wine casks but unfortunately those weren't ready just yet. Instead of opting for wine from a bottle I finished up with a nice light, Italian Wheat beer the Isaac.
Besides a small hiccup of not enough menus to go around I thought everything came off pretty flawless for a soft opening. The staff were absolutely phenomenal. Everyone was in such a great mood and so ready to help with recommendations. The rays were streaming through the roof and a nice breeze came through the top making it the perfect evening weather.
Birreria is not cheap however- my 8.5 oz Isaac Beer was $10 and our Salume plate was $11. Birreria is also not a beer garden- it's a restaurant first and foremost. A place to enjoy some fantastic beers you might not see elsewhere and have some delicious grub. That being said we enjoyed ourselves and I see myself coming back very soon and very often.
If you want to visit it's easy. Downstairs near the checkout registers is the Birreria sign where you get signed in on an iPad. If there's room up top you go right up. If it's packed you leave your phone number and get a text message when your spot is available. You don't even have to wait inside Eataly if you don't want-go hang out in the park and enjoy some sun. They will also be taking reservations for 6 or more in the future so plan ahead and give a call if you have a big group.
Bierria
We knew we wanted to eat dinner but I felt like checking out the bar scene so instead of sitting at one of the red tables in the middle we grabbed a few seats at the bar. I started out with one of their cask brews an Eataly Pale Ale.
This had nice golden hues and standard hops- a very tasty Pale Ale. For the more adventurous beer drinker I would suggest the Gina- a Thyme Pale Ale which brought a spicy kick to the front and tasted extremely refreshing on the hot sunny evening. Since Birreria doesn't technically open until June 3rd they didn't have all the beers ready just yet. There will be at least two more additional cask brews made right there at Eataly in their Copper Clad Brew System. The first an English Mild made with chestnuts and a American Wheat brewed with peppercorns. Additional seasonal brews may be rotated in and out as the year goes on as well.
For food the menu is split up into seven parts. Cheeses, Salume, Salads, Mushrooms, Entrees, Sides and finally three different kinds of Pork Shoulder and Sausages. We decided to start out with a nibble of Cacciatorni a Piemonte "hunter's style" Pork Salame.
You'll notice the regular fluffy Eataly bread from downstairs up top and the hearty chunks of salame on the bottom. I believe this is described as "hunter's style" since it was usually the carry along food of huntsmen and eaten on the go. There was something so satisfying about each hunk of meat. It was on the tougher side with big flavors of pepper up front but with a smooth and balanced finish. This was the perfect food for beer drinking. After ordering some of our favorite Dogfish Head beers (Raison D'etre for me and 90 Minute for Mr. T) we split an entree.
Wow look at this massive Pork Chop! This dish reminded me of the Pork Chop I enjoyed at Babbo. The meat was so moist and had definitely been drizzled with some awesome olive oil alongside crispy fried Yukon Gold Potatoes and lots of peppers and onions. Be aware this dish is spicy! All of those little minced up peppers at the bottom really pack a punch. I could only handle so much and focused strictly on the meat after a few vicious swigs of water. However I'm kind of weak in that respect- Mr. T thought it was perfect and demolished this dish within minutes. For $24 you can't go wrong with ordering this plate.
I was going to finish up with a glass of wine from one of their fabulous wine casks but unfortunately those weren't ready just yet. Instead of opting for wine from a bottle I finished up with a nice light, Italian Wheat beer the Isaac.
Besides a small hiccup of not enough menus to go around I thought everything came off pretty flawless for a soft opening. The staff were absolutely phenomenal. Everyone was in such a great mood and so ready to help with recommendations. The rays were streaming through the roof and a nice breeze came through the top making it the perfect evening weather.
Birreria is not cheap however- my 8.5 oz Isaac Beer was $10 and our Salume plate was $11. Birreria is also not a beer garden- it's a restaurant first and foremost. A place to enjoy some fantastic beers you might not see elsewhere and have some delicious grub. That being said we enjoyed ourselves and I see myself coming back very soon and very often.
If you want to visit it's easy. Downstairs near the checkout registers is the Birreria sign where you get signed in on an iPad. If there's room up top you go right up. If it's packed you leave your phone number and get a text message when your spot is available. You don't even have to wait inside Eataly if you don't want-go hang out in the park and enjoy some sun. They will also be taking reservations for 6 or more in the future so plan ahead and give a call if you have a big group.
Bierria
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