Boston Back Bay Adventures

On Sunday, Rob and I decided to venture to Boston’s Back Bay to check out Eataly – a brand new Italian Market located at the Prudential Center that boasts roughly 45,000 square feet of Italian goodness.

Eataly Boston

Here are a few tips & facts to help you navigate Eataly Boston (that I wish I’d known when we first visited):

You can either enter from the street (ground floor) or via the Prudential Center mall entrance (main floor). The third floor will be home to Terra (#35), a restaurant opening in 2017.

Sit Down Restaurants

The main floor is the hub of all the Eataly glory. Imagine a market with fresh fruits and vegetables, a fish monger, a butcher, a baker (sorry, no candlestick maker) and more Italian pastas and sauces than you can imagine.

The main floor includes 3 sit down restaurants; Il Pesce (#34), La Piazza (#33) and La Pizza & La Pasta (#8).

Il Pesce – a seafood restaurant and collaboration with local culinary legend Barbara Lynch which seats 64 in the main dining area and 12 at a bar with a 10-seat raw bar (Il Crudo).

La Piazza – enjoy a wide selection of wines, beers and cocktails while sharing meat & cheese plates and more.

La Pizza & La Pasta – A lovely 162 seat pizza & pasta (obvious eh?) restaurant with a full wine bar.

Terra – This is the only restaurant that will offer reservations when it opens in 2017 (actual date to be determined). This restaurant will be found on the third floor.

Express Eateries & Market Goods

The second floor is also home to 13 quick eateries featuring an assortment of grab & go snacks, desserts and meals. All of this goodness lies nestled around a full Italian Market. How awesome can this be?

OH, and you can sign up to take a class to learn culinary skills at La Scuola too.

Sola’s Irish Pub

After visiting Eataly and not finding a single seat to enjoy our lunch (hey, it’s new… it’s popular… it’s ok) we decided to stop at Solas Irish Pub just down the street.

It was so nice and felt authentically Irish. I enjoyed a cobb salad (not authentically Irish – ha) and it totally hit the spot. I love a nice big hearty salad when I’m hungry. After all, Rob and I had gotten a workout skating at the Boston Frog Pond for half the day and walking 3 miles to Boston’s Back Bay.

Solas is a quaint neighborhood style pub, nestled near the Prudential Center in the heart of Boston’s storied Back Bay in the historic Lenox Hotel. The lunch menu features classic pub dishes with regional New England touches and a rich selection of salads and stews. Great ambiance, great food, great location.

We had a fantastic day in Boston’s Back Bay and what made it all the more spectacular was a quick stop at the Lindt Chocolate store on the way home. Simply fabulous and mouthwateringly tasty. Just when you think you’re not hungry, it’s amazing how one piece (or two) of chocolate finds room in the belly.