What I wrote thereFold it away
Eataly (200 5th Avenue, Flatiron) is part food hall, part Italian grocery, part restaurant, and all overwhelming in the best way. It’s massive. You could spend an hour just wandering through the different sections.
The pasta counter is the move. You sit at a counter and eat freshly made pasta for $16-22, and it’s as good as most Italian restaurants in the city. The pizza counter is also excellent. The gelato is the real thing.
Fair warning. Eataly is not cheap. The grocery section will tempt you into spending $40 on olive oil and fancy crackers. I speak from experience. Multiple experiences.

