Holy Macaroni! Batali Comes to Flatbush

The date of this post was April 1. To foreigners or to the just curious like a cat, I send you a link that shares the origins of the bizarre day of pranks that traces its roots back to Chaucer the Saucer (as he was known to his fraternity brothers for his habit of downing shots from a...well, you know...followed by a beer chaser drunk from a delicate demitasse imported from Istanbul, which is how he claimed his other name Turkey Jerky).

The Q's been keeping this one under his hat for the last couple weeks thinking surely it would fall through. The GEM Discount Store on Flatbush between Parkside and Woodruff is about to go from 99 cent bottles of perfume to 99 dollar bottles of hand pressed ultra virgin olive oil. Mario Batali, the corpulent serial entrepreneur, is about to open five (5!) Eataly Outposts in Brooklyn, one each in the trendiest nabes of Williamsburg, Bushwick, Carrol Gardens, Gowanus and, you guessed it, Lefferts Gardens. We're first up because, well, it was cheapest and easiest to move in on the lease at 724 Flatbush, right next to the Duanegreens.

So what is it exactly, this Eataly Outpost?
Apparently Batali has seen the enormous potential in franchising his super-successful Manhattan shrine to all things Italian and Culinary (from Italy and Culin respectively), but according to his press release
he has investors lined up to open one of these small groceries a month for the next two years in major U.S. cities. And we get the very first one! That undoubtedly means a Batali sighting on the Flabenue is not far behind, and Batali's behind is not too far behind that.

Need capers? Boy, do we got capers!

Much like recent neighborhood favorites like Larder and Provisions and Union Market, one can expect high-end specialty items and fresh to-go foods. And what tastes better than a tiny $30 pizza? Not much says Q, unless it's a $5 bottle of flavored seltzer. Batali's counting on the trend to smaller boutique shoppes to continue, and he certainly has the name to beat when it comes to drawing in the ravenously frothy gourmet crowds. Remember folks, food is the new rock 'n' roll.

Benvenuto, Mario!! Check out Pepa's while you're hanging drywall!