So far, this autumn might be more about rain and humidity than rainbow leaves and the crisp sting of a fall breeze, but that doesn’t mean it’s not time to start thinking back to school. Along with the dozen-odd retail departments, wine shop, bookstore, and multiple restaurants that make up Eataly, the multi-tentacled temple to all things edible and Italian, is launching the first semester of La Scuola di Eataly, a dedicated 24-seat classroom that will host tastings, demonstrations, lectures, and cooking lessons.
The debut course schedule (which for now is only running at half-steam: La Scuola moves to a full course load with the January semester) centers mostly around wine-related classes featuring winemaker lectures and antipasti “personally selected” by school dean Lidia Bastianich. Not into wine? There’s something for everyone: For fish lovers, Esca chef Dave Pasternack will discuss and prepare dishes from his cookbook, The Young Man and the Sea; for meat lovers, Cesare Casella leads a tasting of salumi and other cured meats; for those who like grocery shopping, you can participate in a “walking tour of Eataly” for just $25, which we suppose might be worth it if you’re scared to shop alone.
Classes begin in October, and rumor has it some Lidia-led courses will be added to the schedule sooner rather than later.
La Scuola di Eataly [Official site]
