So you’re a charcuterie lover? Italian food obsessed? A grocery store connoisseur such as myself?
Well, you’ve come to the right place! Today we’re going to take a deep dive into Eataly Dallas and see what all this fuss is about!
So my trip to Eataly in Dallas was actually not planned at all. I was NOT prepared for this experience.
No, in all seriousness, I ended up here due to some intense birthday planning form my sweet husband. He planned out an entire day of activities for my birthday and having dinner at Terra, the restaurant attached to Eataly Dallas, was how my wonderful birthday ended. I could go on and on about this man of mine, but that’s not what this article is about.
Terra
Terra was wonderful. I mean wonderful! The atmosphere at the restaurant is so inviting, wine is flowing, and the entire place smells like a fresh burning wood stove. The entire restaurant is covered in incredible greenery, which sings to my heart in particular.
The outdoor patio was so beautiful! With it being July in Texas, we (and everyone else) were absolutely NOT eating outside. But I am counting the days until there’s a slight breeze so we can go back to have dinner on the patio.
We started the evening with a wonderful bottle of Tuscan wine and an out of this world charcuterie board, the Chef Special. We went back and forth on what appetizer to get, but we couldn’t turn down the opportunity to try it all! It was truly a special arrangement of wood-fired ingredients. Even the grapes had a smoky taste to them? Which was actually really interesting. It went very well with the peppered speck and olives on the board.
While we waited for our table at Terra, the hostess recommended grabbing a glass of wine from the bar in the store and browsing around a little bit. We had absolutely no problem with that suggestion! Off we went!
Well, that was quick. Within about 2 ounces of wine and about a 5 minute stroll through the store, we knew we’d be back the next day for our own charcuterie board. John and I are charcuterie fiends. So the idea of getting to try every ingredient, with wine in hand, before we bought – no brainer.
So Sunday came, we headed back.
I came back Sunday on a mission. I wanted to see every inch of this store. We grabbed a couple of glasses of wine and we were off!
Look, I love grocery stores. I don’t know why, it’s kind of weird! Grocery stores were a place of peace for me in my early twenties. I had a somewhat stressful home life, so escaping to the store and just “aisling it” was stress relieving for me. I know, weird. But it works.
First off, this produce section. Amazing.
The selection of off the wall ingredients made my heart so happy! I picked up some squash blossoms, a few Italian long hots, and this amazing mushroom! I was so excited about this guy!
Meat, cheese, and bread galore!
The counters at this place were mind blowing. I’ve never seen such an incredible selection of meats, cheeses, and fresh baked goods!
This seafood counter was amazing. The fish all looked SO FRESH. Caviar, uni, sushi grade tuna, and MASSIVE crab legs!
Hungry while you shop? There’s two restaurants on the store floor, and a third up stairs!
In addition to Terra upstairs, Eataly also offers two restaurants on the store floor: La Pizza & La Pasta and Il Pastaio di Eataly.
I can’t wait to go back to both of these restaurants! We had just had brunch at Chef Pointe, so we were stuffed. But we will be back!
Pastaio di Eataly was directly in the center of the action, between the wine bars and meat counters. It was a gorgeous collection of tables that allowed you to people watch and enjoy a big bowl of Tagliatelle alla Bolognese or Cacio e Pepe.
I’m particularly excited to make a trip back here when it’s chilly outside to enjoy a big bowl of noodles and glass of red.
La Pizza & La Pasta seemed a bit more laid back, tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. It seemed like a great place to have a business meeting or get some work done while you have lunch. There was nice moody lighting and a laid back menu. The walls were covered in jars of dried pasta and tomato sauce.
Grocery selection honestly can’t be beat!
I couldn’t get over how much selection of fine meats and cheeses were available here. There must have been 800 kinds of cheese! I’m not even exaggerating.
In addition, there were several counters offering prepared foods and hand rolled pastas. Everything looked wonderful.
Our cart was full and we were ready to hit the road, espresso was necessary.
We took a trip downstairs to their Lavazza Cafe to order a couple of cappuccinos for the road. It had just started to rain and a warm cup of espresso sounded just lovely.
The coffee house was dark and moody and decorated just beautifully. There was a large wall offering several different types of Italian coffees and dessert wines. That was impressive.
So how was our charcuterie board? Well, why don’t you try it yourself?
This was absolutely one of the best boards we’ve ever made! Everything was so delicious!
Check out the Charcuterie By Numbers post to make it yourself! All of the ingredients are linked or described in depth!
I feel like I’ve gone on and on about how incredible this place really was. I don’t think you need me to wrap up just how special it was even more.
If you take anything from this article, just take a trip to an Eataly if you can. Indulge in the wine, gawk at the giant tomahawks and the man rolling fresh pasta directly in front of your face, and just spend some time with your loved ones in a beautiful place. I’m a lucky lady to have a husband who enjoys silly stuff like this just as much as I do. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy ourselves even more.
Until next time Eataly, ciao bella!
I’m so excited to bring more interactive articles like this to A Toasted Crumb in the near future!
If you loved this article, let me know! Leave a comment! I love chatting with you guys!
