MadParkNews.com, covering New York City's Madison Square Park & Flatiron

The Huffington Post reports that Eataly, the Italian artisinal mega grocery / restaurant marketplace is coming to Los Angeles and Washington DC as early as next year.

The first US based Eataly was of course right off Madison Square Park (200 5th avenue) and features 40,000 square feet of imported and local products including fresh bread, fresh pasta, olive oil, cheese, wine, meats, fresh fish, gelato, pastries, coffee, several restaurants and a rooftop brewery/restaurant called La Birreria.

The word from the Eataly booth at the Flatiron Chefs event is that Eataly (200 5th Avenue) will open August 31st. We even snapped a copy of the floorplan (click photo to expand) which shows a pizza/pasta takeaway area, mini food eateries with pesce, carne, verdure, 2 espresso bars, 1 gelateria, 1 panino bar, 1 wine shop, fresh mozarella, salumi, formaggi, and a rotsisserie stand with all sorts of meat and poultry. The rooftop microbrewery is slated to follow in late September/early October.

(UPDATE: EATALY ROOFTOP BAR TO OPEN JUNE 3rd, 2011. SEE PHOTOS AND VIDEO AT http://www.madparknews.com/madison-square-park-restaurants/eataly-rooftop-birreria-to-open-june-3rd-2011/)Word is in that four breweries have been selected by B&B Hospitality Group (Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich) to create the previously announced Eataly rooftop brew-pub and restaurant. It will be a combination of two American craft breweries (Dogfish and Russian River Brewing Company) and two Italian craft brewers (Birrificio Le Baladin and Birra del Borgo). They will actually brew beer on the rooftop using a copper-clad brewing system. The brew-pub will be 8000 square feet with Flatiron/Empire State building views and feature a Batali restaurant.

“Eataly Brewery will be a great fusion of the well-known Italian gastronomic culture and our rising beer culture with the taste and the creativity of the American craft beer movement. This may well be the craziest and amazing brewery in the world” stated Leonardo Di Vincenzo, Brewmaster, Birra del Borgo.

The rooftop brew-pub is in addition to the previously announced 20,000+ square foot Italian specialty artisinal foods market and restaurants set to open in summer 2010 on the first floor at 200 5th Avenue right off of Madison Square Park.The original Eataly in Turin Italy features artisanal producers of pastas, meats, cheese, salumi, fish, pizzas, breads, olive oils and much more.

Grey Group, the global advertising/marketing company, has officially moved its headquarters to floors 2-7 of 200 Fifth Avenue on the west side of Madison Square Park. Grey Group will be joined in the building by artisinal Italian market Eataly in mid-2010.