I checked out Eataly at Valley Fair Fri 8/19/22. It’s been open a few weeks so I was hoping not to wait.
It’s behind Cheesecake Factory if walking from the parking out there. There is a mall entrance too.
First Fl is where ready-made pizza slices are, sandwiches, Italian pastries, and their gelato.
2nd Fl is Italian wines. I saw Limoncello in tiny bottles $5 & bigger wine size bottle $30 but didn’t get any.
3rd Fl is their small grocery, some overpriced produce, homenade cheeses, pastas, and 2 restaurants. One is a pasta/pizza restaurant. Other is Terra with more meats & fish in wood-fire grill.
I only tried a ready-made slice of pizza $10 for 2 slices. Tasted ok, they reheat it for you. Also got a small caprese salad $6 was fine. Gelato u can ask for samples. I got a medium pistachio and sweet cream chocolate chip $7 Was good.
Didn’t have the time yet to visit this Eataly but based previous experiences (Boston, NYC) Eataly is often good (but expensive) to find some more unique ingredients you don’t find in regular supermarkets (WF, Safeway etc.) like guanciale, excellent fresh pasta, certain cheeses etc.) but less for your “regular” supermarket stops. Their Terra restaurants tend to be good to very good (and have less of a competition in Silicon Valley than in SF)
And some of their prepared food places - pizza, salad, gelato tend to be good
Since SJ is close to my old stomping grounds, I have to ask, with all of the early immigrant populations in Norcal, are there no old time Italian grocers, ravioli makers, delis in San Jose?
I have no problem sourcing guanciale, fresh pasta, superb cheeses, warm foccacia at several small historic delis in SF. I would certainly think that SJ would have at least one.
on the peninsula, there are very few italian delis that i am aware of, compared to oakland which had a few. there are certainly good Italian restaurants but only a few which are particularly old. i do favor an italian tailor. the biancinis / piazzas mini chain of groceries might have Italian roots. the cheese selection at the San Carlos outpost is particularly good, and i have chatted with the cheese monger, she seemed Californian, and favors alpine cheeses, some of which might be Italian.
Oakland no longer has as many Italian delis left. Ratto’s is about it. Genova and Lucca closed/moved. Genova has a location in Walnut Creek, Lucca in Castro Valley. Much like how the Italian American population has moved outward, shifted, so have delis.
Redwood City has a long history, oldest city on the Peninsula and is the San Mateo County seat. It was founded before major waves of Italian immigration, so I imagine there must have been Italian neighborhoods…but can’t find any info on a quick search. Obviously if a neighborhood survived, it would be listed.
Agree about Oakland. pretty sure the deli on piedmont is long gone.
I also thought, given the history, rwc should be italian in heritage, but i see very little evidence of Italian history. Might some of the carvings on buildings on Broadway be somewhat Italian? what about sigona’s? what about k&l, or the strange biscotti shop nearby? or any of the older Italian restaurants?
Remnants, and hard to tie to longer generational spans.
This is a decent spot in Oakland on College Ave - lots of Italian stuff if not wholly Italiano…have enjoyed the fresh pastas if that’s what you’re looking for
