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It's finally here, guys. New Yorkers have eagerly been awaiting the debut of Eataly's bread-themed downtown location at 4 World Trade, and following the grand opening yesterday, we got our hands (and mouths) on some grub for ourselves at the new 45,000-square-foot space. The lines are long, but the bounty is supreme, so if you can handle the crowd, you're in for a treat with stellar house-made cheese and pastas, and freshly cooked Italian meats.
1. Prime rib panino
The sliced-to-order prime rib at the focus of this sandwich is super succulent, made with 100-percent Angus beef sourced from Creekstone Farms and spiced with a secret-recipe house-made porcini rub. Lightly dressed with extra virgin olive oil, the meat is house inside a sliced baguette from the market's bakery. It's a simple sandwich, but sometimes the simplest things are the best things. $14.80
2. Caprese ciabatta
For a sandwich nearly entirely composed of bread and cheese, this Caprese sandwich manages to be a light and refreshing lunch option. The tomatoes lend some nice acidity and the fresh-baked baguette offers good crunch to contrast that creamy Italian cheese. $9.80
3. Firenze breakfast sandwich
This beats your basic bodega bacon-egg-and-cheese any day: Two fluffy eggs with house-made pork-sage sausage and sheep's-milk cacio di Roma made by the legendary Sini Fulvi. $6.80
4. Salsicciotta pizza at La Pizza & La Pasta
From start to finish, the skilled pizzaiolos at Eataly turn out this pie in less than 10 minutes. The crispy-edged round feature a healthy ladling of marinara, melted, house-made buffalo mozzarella, sweet Italian sausage, tender mushrooms and a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil. $22.86
5. Mozzarella classica with a classic baguette
It's damn-near erotica watching Eataly's cheese experts hand-pull mozzarella here. For a simple, rich and very transportable (late-summer picnic, anyone?) lunch, you can't go wrong with hyperfresh mozzarella and a crusty Italian loaf. Mozzarella $3.80, baguette $2.80
6. Ravenna piadina
There's an entire counter dedicated to this traditional Italian flatbread, hailing from the country's Emilia-Romagna region. Here, the bread is stuffed with house-made sausage, asiago cheese, spicy arugula and bitter, house-pickled broccolini. $12.80
7. Half chicken with a side of rosemary potatoes
A hearty option for lunch, the half chicken (it's also available whole) is slow-cooked on the rotisserie over an open flame after being brined for six hours. Order with your choice of one or two sides, but make sure one of them is the downright dope rosemary roasted potatoes. $10.80
8. Millefoglie alla crema
Where desserts are concerned, Eataly's got them in spades. Pastry chef Katia Delogu favors the chantilly, but on our opening visit, we opted for a creamy millefoglie topped with powdered sugar and a strawberry—it's like a dessert lasagna with super-flaky layers of pastry that are fun to crack into, leaving a happy mess of sweet cream everywhere. $5.80
9. Italian soda
Wash it all down with the sparkling Italian sodas—like a citrusy Lurisia La Nostra Aranciata—for sale at virtually every counter. They're light and fresh, and everything Fanta wants to be, but isn't. $2.48