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Eataly Flatiron is bringing back everything we love about winter: a cozy room, sweater weather, hot drinks and hearty, comforting food—all on a rooftop.
Serra Alpina by Birreria returns for the second year on Oct. 30 in a 5,000-square-foot restaurant space that changes themes each season. It’s been a social media hit, and we expect nothing different this time around. MilkyWay Studio recreated the Italian Alps vibe with a rustic touch by adding a wonderland of trees, pine leaves, snowflakes and a cabin, which can be booked for a party of eight ahead of time.
Last winter, more than 90,000 people visited Serra Alpina by Birreria, according to an Eataly spokesperson. Serra, which means “greenhouse” in Italian, has been transformed into a beachy seaside resort in the past and most recently was dubbed Serra d’Autunno with a lush fall theme complete with apple cider on the menu (and even drinks served inside hollowed-out apples).
The menu from Executive Chef Michael Nogera focuses on truffles, winter squashes and celery root. But the showstopper is the Fonduta Valdostana DOP, an Italian-style fondue made with rich, creamy Fontina d’Aosta DOP cheese from the alps. It’s served with fingerling potatoes, Otto bread and root vegetables.
“We wanted to stay true to what Serra is and really talk about the seasonal vegetables, too,” says Nogera. “The cheese we use is a funky cheese but one of those good funky cheeses, the kind where you keep going back to it to eat during the meal and at the end of the night stop by our cheese counter to pick up a wheel of your own to eat at home.”
The setting sounds like an aspirational après ski moment. In December, there will be warm and cold coffee cocktails, the Truffletini (a white truffle-infused vodka) and an extensive selection of Riesling (a perfect wine pairing with fondue). And from Nov. 1-17, Eataly Restaurant Fest offers a two-course, prix-fixe menu (starting at $18), which can be paired with Italian wines.
The space is slated to stay open until mid-March 2020, but here’s a sneak peak of what to expect: