Five Things to Know About Eataly Boston

Here's what to expect when the Pru's Italian food emporium opens later this month.

eataly

Eataly Chicago / Photo by Galdones Photography provided

After three years of development, Eataly Boston is almost ready to start cranking out pizza, pasta, and just about every other Italian treat you could ever crave. Slated to open November 29 in the Prudential Center, the 45,000-square-foot food complex will be the international chain’s fourth U.S. outpost.

Here’s a primer on what to expect.

1. Restaurants. Eataly will open with three of them: La Pizza e La Pasta (pizza and pasta), La Piazza (cured meat and cheese plates, wine by the glass, crudo), and Il Pesce (seafood). A fourth restaurant, Terra, will open on the complex’s third floor in early 2017.

2. Chefs. Florida native Jason Neve, former culinary director of Mario Batali’s four Las Vegas restaurants, has been tasked with running the project’s culinary operations. But he’ll have some help. Boston chef and restaurateur Barbara Lynch has been brought in to oversee menu development for the seafood restaurant, Il Pesce. Eataly USA partners Batali, Lidia Bastianich, and Joe Bastianich will also be on hand to lend expertise, too.

3. Theme. Each Eataly location takes on a different focus, and Boston’s will be seafood. The shopping and restaurant complex is committed to purchasing sustainable catch from local fisherman, says Nicola Farinetti, CEO of Eataly USA, and son of founder Oscar Farinetti.

4. Groceries Galore. The food emporium will stock about 10,000 retail products. In addition to high-end Italian grocery imports such as chocolate, prosciutto, and pasta, there will be stations selling ready-to-go panini, gelato, espresso, and cannoli. Pizza will also be available to-go.

5. Local Food, too. Eataly has its roots in the Slow Food movement (the elder Farinetti is a childhood friend of Slow Food mastermind Carlo Petrini). That means the brand balances its Italian identity with an appreciation for local sourcing. New England partners include Berkshires-based dairy High Lawn Farm and Providence’s Narragansett Creamery, which will supply mozzarella curds.

Opening November 29, 800 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, eataly.com.