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Eat & Drink

Eataly’s Baita pop-up will take you to the Italian Alps without leaving Flatiron

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  • Try one of the hot cocktails, like the Vin Brulé -- warm red wine with Vecchio Romagne brandy, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom seed, clove, orange and lemon peel.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • If you want something sweet, try Baita's take on Italian eggnog (or zabaglione), dubbed the Bombardino: Zabov zabaglione liqueur, Vecchia Romagna brandy, whipped cream and nutmeg.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • The rooftop (which is enclosed) has been totally decked out to feel like a ski lodge -- complete with bearskin rugs and '80s-style ski coats decorating the walls on the way up the stairs. And, of course, there's fake snow.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • The restaurant's columns have even been lined with fur. What more do you want?
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • This might be the best way to experience the ski lodge scenery and vibe without sitting in Thruway traffic or hopping a bus to Vermont.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • Transport yourself to the Alps with some raclette -- a melty Swiss cheese scraped off a giant wheel and, at Baita, onto some potatoes and other veggies.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • Everyone knows that vegetables are better when smothered in a blanket of hot, melty cheese.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • Eataly representatives boast that Baita is the only bar in the city to offer a dedicated polenta bar. You might not have known you needed a polenta bar, but trust us, you do. There are two varieties: one with salted sardines, and another with pumpkin -- a variety called Long Island cheese pumpkin, to be exact, which Eataly is working with local farms to cultivate.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • Among the best bites on the Baita menu was the strangolapreti con burro e salvia -- housemate bread and spinach dumplings served with butter and sage. Think the texture of gnocchi, but somehow even better. The name means
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • For something more hearty, try one of the tender beef dishes like this one, a 30-hour-braised beef shank with salsa verde.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • If that little bite wasn't enough for you, there's good news: You can order the entire leg of the cow as a private dining option, served in your own cabin.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen
  • Yes, there's a cabin inside the restaurant, complete with Adirondack chairs and cozy fur blankets.
    Photo Credit: Jillian Jorgensen

If you can’t afford to jet off to the Italian Alps this winter — and let’s face it, you can’t — there’s a pretty good substitute right in the Flatiron neighborhood.

Eataly’s winter pop-up Baita offers all the satisfaction of an après ski drink or meal without the work of actually skiing. It takes over rooftop beer garden Birrera starting Thursday and running all winter, and has plenty to offer in terms of food, drink and décor.

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