Focused on innovation, Fridababy aims to provide parents with the tools to simply and efficiently care for their babies. Since CEO Chelsea Hirschhorn joined Fridababy in 2014, the company has expanded into a 15,000 square foot facility. That growth has led to Fridababy’s geographic presence expanding from 5,000 doors to over 25,000 doors across North America. In turn, accolades have come from NBC’s Today (“Stuff We Love”), BuzzFeed (“47 Parenting Products That’ll Make Your Life Easier”), and Vogue (“The Ultimate Baby Registry Master List”) alike.
Prior to taking over Fridababy, Chelsea was a New York City-based bankruptcy attorney at Weil Gotshal & Manges, in addition to a role as Director of Ancillary Revenue for the Miami Marlins. Her J.D. was earned from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. In turn, Downtown asked “the Baby-Gadget Guru” — a mother of two — for some New York restaurant recommendations.
After a session with the boys at the Chelsea Piers driving range or carousel, we walk over for lunch then stroll the Highline with our dessert in-hand.
For very sentimental reasons — it was where my husband and I went on our very first date. It was pouring rain and the taxi pulled up to the corner and I looked at him like, “Are we really eating tacos in the window?” I’ve since learned to trust him implicitly!
On the corner of 73rd & Madison, where I spent a lot of time escaping the downtown grind during law school; my parents were on 73rd between Park and Lex. Truly a more perfect cappuccino does not exist.
Downtown Manhattan just got a little more Italian as Eataly is opening its second New York location at 4 World Trade on the third floor on Aug. 11. This 40,000 square-foot space is magical and meaningful to all who will visit.
Greeted when you come up the escalator with an alluring chandelier and the world map, you immediately feel the expansive presence of Eataly NYC Downtown. Customers can enjoy five restaurants, salad bars, two coffee bars, butchery, homemade pasta counters, cheese, seafood and more. However, plenty of emphasis goes on bread at Eataly, said CEO Nicola Farinetti: “We want to use bread as an excuse to talk about other people’s cultures in one of the most important and most diverse cities in the world.”
Starting on Aug. 11, I know where I will be every morning starting at 7:00 AM: enjoying the delicious breakfast menu at Orto e Mare — a name which means “garden and sea” — for the best egg sandwich in New York City. Other dishes served there include fresh granola, frittatas, smoked salmon and more. As I learned during yesterday, you can spend the entire day in Eataly and never tire of its grandeur of the Italian culture and exquisiteness.
I had a chance to speak with a number people that are instrumental to Eataly’s long-term success: founder Oscar Farinetti, architect Carlo Piglione, partner Mario Batali, managing partner Adam Saper, and partner Joe Bastianich.
The Eataly NYC Downtown team
Oscar Farinetti came up with the unique concept for Eataly just 10 short years ago. The brand has since grown to 33 non-chain locations, each with different foods and designs.
What is it like to have your new location here in the birth place of New York?
Oscar Farinetti: I remember the first day that Westfield and the Port called me to come here two or three years ago to look at this site. It was a very rare day, when all people of the world remember where they were when 9/11 happened. When I look at this part of history, for me now today, this is the center of the world, the birth of a new era I’m very proud to be a part of this very important location I want Eataly to be here, it is very important for all of us.
What was it like design the interior and can you tell us your inspiration?
Carlo Piglione: “In other Eatalys, the market and restaurants are all integrated. However, this space was a bit of a challenge because of the existing construction. We had to put restaurants on one side and retail on the other. Although initially this presented quite a challenge in the beginning, it actually turned out to be a great thing because everyone is seated overlooking these incredible views of the Memorial and One World Trade. What initially seemed like it would be a disadvantage turned out to be this fantastic, amazing thing that now everyone gets to experience. They can see and feel the amazing history of this area. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it.”
Tell us what it was like to come downtown and be a part of this incredible renaissance?
Adam Saper: If I told you it was easy, would you believe me? We were never really looking to do another Eataly. We love the one on 23rd Street and will always love it. But when we were presented with the ability to be involved in a project like this, the emotional aspects around it and how amazing it is to be a part of the rebuilding of downtown Manhattan — and to be in the center of it all and supply amazing high-quality food — that got us.
I am so excited to have Eataly in our community, when I heard that you were coming to lower Manhattan, I was and still am extremely excited and grateful to have you a part of our downtown DNA. We have all been through so much with 9/11 and the rebuilding, how was it to build here during this incredible renaissance of lower Manhattan, what was it like for you, Mario?
Mario Batali: You know, it’s fantastic. We’re happy to be a part of the rebirth and a crucial part of the Manhattan, the skyline and the cultural kind of reawakening and what Manhattan is and should be and we are happy to be a part of it. What we are really happy about it sharing the Italian culture, gastronomy wine, happiness all the things that Italians want to export all the things that we want to share with everybody else is exactly what we are doing here.
What was it like working with Westfield?
Joe Bastianich: They put their money where their mouth is, and they have been partners with us in developing this and dealing with such a complex and high-profile building. Nothing is ever easy, and they’ve been really just been there the whole way. You know, we are two years late, there has been some tough moments, but today is the icing on the cake.
Be sure to stop by on Aug. 11, take an hour or day to savor in Eataly’s unique cultural experience of what Eataly brings to downtown Manhattan. Not only will you be able to enjoy the flavors and culture, but you will have the opportunity to take cooking classes free of charge to the public, walk down the corridor of Italian education on the many products, cheese, pasta and meats that Eataly has to offer.
Be sure to pick up the fall issue of Downtown with an in-depth feature on Eataly NYC Downtown.
Following the success of its cafés in flagship Eataly stores in New York and Chicago, Lavazza has opened a new café in Eataly’s third marketplace, which opened in Downtown Manhattan this month. Located within Tower 4 of the World Trade Center, the new Eataly NYC Downtown includes sprawling New York views and 5,000 square meters of space dedicated to Italian gastronomy. Photography and artwork behind the main counter is devoted to the ¡Tierra! Sustainability project, as shot by photographer Steve McCurry.
The popularity of Lavazza cafés located in Eataly marketplaces across Sao Paulo, Milan, New York and Chicago is reportedly drove the decision to open up in Eataly’s downtown location. This new Lavazza offers a full menu of espresso-based beverages and high-quality coffees, including a wide range of original and innovative recipes. At such, the Lavazza product range is also available for purchase for at-home use, including the renowned Single Origins: Santa Marta and Kilimanjaro.
Said Giuseppe Lavazza of Lavazza: “Our presence at Eataly NYC Downtown marks a new and important chapter in a compelling and long-standing partnership between Lavazza and Eataly — two Italian, Piedmontese companies working towards a shared vision, with an understanding that a significant part of Italy’s economic future revolves around high-quality food production.”
Lavazza continued: “The new location of Eataly NYC Downtown is very unique. Not only is it the site where one of the most heart-wrenching events in recent-day history happened, but it is also a place that symbolizes hope and enthusiasm for the future with significant social and economic growth potential, supported by sustainability and environmental protection efforts, the same values that are core for Lavazza.”
In 2015, the Eataly location in the Flatiron district counted five million visitors, and Lavazza reported sales of nearly 1.2 million coffee cups. This second Manhattan location is projected to exceed overall performance in terms of in-store traffic and quality customer engagement. Additional Eataly locations featuring Lavazza cafes are scheduled to roll out in Moscow and Boston later this year, and in Los Angeles and Bologna in early 2017.
For more information on Lavazza, please visit: http://www.lavazza.us. Eataly can be followed on Twitter via @Eataly.
Yesterday afternoon, two editors from Downtown had the privilege of attending a celebratory event at Eataly in Midtown. Chefs claiming the highest accolades — such as Mario Batali, Alain Ducasse and David Scabin — came together with friends and members of the press to celebrate a prestigious victory for Massimo Bottura and the whole country of Italy.
After holding the place of the #2 restaurant last year, and #3 the year before, on Jun. 13th at the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” competition, Massimo Bottura’s restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy finally received the title of best restaurant in the world.
Massimo said, “it’s not about work it’s about passion.” As he spoke yesterday afternoon, Massimo’s passion seeped into ever corner of the small Eataly conference room. He spoke about his decision to pursue cooking instead of following his dad’s wishes to attend law school. Massimo boasted he told his dad, “I will get three stars.” Creativity, knowledge, culture and technique allowed his life goal to become a reality. Massimo humbly explained how he hung his Michelin Star adorned jacket on the corner of his bed for a month, just to prove to himself he had really done it.
Massimo thanked his incredible team and most of all, his wife Lara Gilmore. On Jun. 9th, 1993, Massimo and Lara both began work at a small Italian restaurant in Soho on the corner of Grand and Mercer. Massimo is clearly as enamored with his wife as he was 39 years ago. Massimo attributes much of his success to his partnership with Lara, “she opened my mind to art, I didn’t understand contemporary art, it’s not just what you see, she told me to put a little poetry in your mind. She walked into the door of my brain and never left.”
Laura jokes her job is, “catching up with Massimo.” Lara said yesterday, “it has been 23 years of adventure and today we are celebrating a victory for Italy.”
Now that Massimo has won the greatest title, he said he feels he has the opportunity to think about the future, and the future or art and cuisine in Italy. Who knows what is next for the esteemed chef? Perhaps a university or a recipe book? Massimo declared, “what interests me is the future.”
The chef’s final words of advice to all, before individuals in attendance enjoyed aged parmigiano reggiano, fresh fruit, focaccia and samples of spaghetti, was to, “go slow like a dream. Travel with your eyes open to absorb many different cultures until you know everything, then forget everything. Never forget where you are from”
Massimo Bottura’s journey to the top is thoroughly documented on an episode of Chef’s Table available on Netflix if you are interested in learning more.
Today marks the premiere of Mario Batali’s brand new web series called “Taking Requests.” Presented by Eataly, Batali will be creating recipes based on fan-submitted requests.
A fan picks four ingredients which Batali will craft into an “Eatalian” dish dedicated to them. The series will be including ingredients ranging from the simple to the strange. The show is for everyone from the home cook to the professional. Each recipe can be found with the video and will be marked with the level of difficulty, though all recipes will be approachable enough for cooks of any level of expertise.
“Our goal is to show viewers an example of the countless ways they can bring different ingredients together to create something completely unique, to hopefully inspire them to get in the kitchen and let their creativity lead them to a special dish of their own,” said Batali in a press release.
The episodes will show Batali crafting an antipasto, primo, secondo, or dolce course. The first episode features an antipasto course with octopus, peperoncino, garlic, and hazelnuts.
The series will air twice a month on MarioBatali.com as well as on Eataly.com starting on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Fans submitted the ingredients for the first episode by tweeting @Eataly and @Mariobatali with their ideas; the next round will be opening up soon! You can watch the first episode here.
This Sunday, October 18, the Mario Batali Foundation will be honoring Gretchen Witt, co-founder of Cookies for Kids Cancer, at the organization’s 4th annual Honors Dinner.
Co-hosted by John C. Reilly with performances by comedian Jim Gaffigan and musicians Billy Strings & Don Julin, the intimate dinner at Batali’s four-star restaurant Del Posto Ristorante will be a wonderful celebration of great causes.
The Mario Batali Foundation, launched in 2008, is a children’s organization tackling issues from education and hunger to empower children to become an active force for change.
Gretchen Witt is the vice president of Cookies for Kids Cancer, an organization that she and her husband Larry started when their son was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 at the age of two. Shocked about the lack of research for children’s cancer, Witt brought together 250 volunteers to bake 96,000 cookies, effectively raising over $400,000 for children’s cancer research. Though their son has passed, the Witts have continued to advocate for children’s cancer research.
Click here for more information about Cookies for Kids Cancer.
