Eataly Wire

Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich's 63,000-square-foot Eataly Chicago opens its doors to the public today (including the Nutella Bar). Bastianich chats with Chicago Reader about creating a midwestern Eataly: "Obviously the beer is going to be a homage to Chicago. And then at the end of the day, the flour for the pasta is local. The eggs are local. The barley for the [in-house] beer is local. The beef's coming from Iowa. And there's a lot of sensibility of the heartland of America in sourcing these products." Also, looking to the future: "Philly's probably a year away, and Los Angeles shortly after that." [CR]