Eataly Italian food hall to open in San Jose

SAN JOSE – After years of anticipation, the new Eataly Italian food hall is about to open its first location in the Bay Area.

The new three-story food emporium located at Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose is jam packed with meats and cheeses, fish and pasta. And of course, bread and wine.

“The philosophy of the company is very simple. It’s eat, shop and learn,” said Filippo Faggiani, the manager of Eataly Silicon Valley.

Set to open on June 16, it’s Eataly’s first Northern California location, which features a mash up of Italian deli counters, restaurants, and grocery aisles.

There’s also learning spaces for amateur chefs to pick up pointers from the pros.

“We really think Silicon Valley has a lot to offer, so we’re really excited about that,” Faggiani said.

Eataly is the big new kid on the block, but the South Bay is already rich with homegrown Italian grocery-delis that have withstood the test of time. Among them, Antipastos, an East Side neighborhood place run by DeRose family since the 1980s.

“I think coming here is like going to a friend’s house. People come in here and they run into friends and family. It’s like Cheers of the East Side,” said Nick DeRose.

The raviolis and sauces are all homemade, including the family-recipe tomato sauce which is cooked up 30 gallons at a time. And the meat is hand cut on site.

It’s part of what keeps people coming back and lining up.

“I’m proud of our Italian heritage, my sons, my family who all work here,” said Mary DeRose who founded the store with her late husband.

With new competition like Eataly now in town, is this small family place worried?  Nah.

“Good luck to them. Any business that can open up and thrive, good for them. This place has done that for years and years. I don’t see us going anywhere,” said butcher Johnny Gonzales.

The old welcoming the new, all part of the fast moving and ever-changing food scene in San Jose.