Eataly NYC

[hebetude]

Sounds cool!

[DonnieC]

An off the Richter scale Eatzi's. Hope this works better than it did for them.

[Scott--DFW]

This raises an interesting question. With the first Eataly location, the company aligned itself very closely with Slow Food (though I'm not sure whether there was actually an economic partnership involved). Slow Food marks and products are all over the place. Slow Food presidia items are featured throughout every section of the stores, including on the menus of the food stations (and the Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant in store number one). Menus and product lines aren't completely uniform across stores; each store highlights the cuisine, ingredients, cheeses, salumi, pasta, etc., of the region it serves. They're far more thoroughly local, seasonal, and traditional than any comparably sized market concept in the US.

Given that, is it possible to open an Eataly in NYC and have it be faithful to the same Slow Food principles that guide the Italian locations? Wouldn't the store need to shun the old country, instead focusing on Italian-American cuisine, American-made Italian-style cheeses, salumi, olive oils, dry pastas, etc.? Is there anything local, traditional, or slow involved, if most of the products are being transported--with Lord knows what kind of carbon footprint--over 4,000 miles onto foreign soil? If Slow Food International backs such a thing, it would seem like the height of hypocrisy.

Scott

[Worzel_Gummidge]

And confused... Slow Food appears to represent a better consumer future, but actually backs particular producer interests. There is a lot to be said for shipping food half the way around the world -- especially if you live outside the inevitably abundant mediterranean climate.

[Kirk]

Worzel:

I am not sure that I understand what you mean by "Slow Food appears to represent a better consumer future, but actually backs particular producer interests."

Do you mean that Slow Food fosters local, eco- and environmentally conscious, and ethically produced foodstuffs from producers and processors who are compensated fairly by consumers (co-producers in Slow Food's parlance) for what they make, grow or raise? That's the foundation of the organization's philosophy and mission, so where's the confusion?

In that case, aren't they representing their "movement's" considered interpretation of the interests and future of the entire value chain from field to table ... except perhaps those of producers, retailers and consumers who don't believe in Slow Food's tenets? Or are you pointing to other issues or bias that we are not aware of?

[Worzel_Gummidge]

Kirk: Here is an example.

I should clarify that my comments were addressed at the national organization and that the local chapter is exonerated. The local chapter is very much the kind of organization that I wanted to join from the first time I went to a Slow Food event in 1999.

[Kirk]

Sorry, Worzel, but I still don't think I get your point.

Are you saying that Slow Food USA fails to represent its mission (or a "better consumer future") because it has accepted money from Finlandia vodka and lent the Slow Food name to a Finlandia marketing event? Aren't most not-for-profits and many NGOs sustained by corporate support these days? The Dallas Opera is supported by Lexus, American Airlines, Lockheed-Martin, TI and others. To the best of my knowledge, Lexus hasn't (yet) required Don Giovanni to arrive onstage driving a Lexus LFA.

Are you saying there is something "unsustainable" about Finlandia's sourcing or production practices? It's true that Finlandia is not made locally, but didn't you also say, "There is a lot to be said for shipping food half the way around the world -- especially if you live outside the inevitably abundant mediterranean climate"? Would you be more comfortable if Tito's vodka, or the Inwood Estates or FUQUA wineries, were the corporate supporters of Slow Food events?

[Worzel_Gummidge]

Kirk: The Finlandia event is in dallas this week. However, there is no mention of it on the local Slow Food chapter's:
web site
blog
facebook page

Does that tell you something?

[Kirk]

Does that tell you something?

No. Please explain what it means.

[hebetude]

An off the Richter scale Eatzi's. Hope this works better than it did for them.

Floor plan for the food mall.