In Italy, shopkeepers and businesses take Riposa, a rest, in mid-afternoon to recharge with an espresso and few bites of pastry. Now that Caffé Lavazza has opened in Dallas Eataly you can Riposa here, Dallas style.
The all-day café opened Thursday on the lower level of Eataly, showcasing its stunning selection of Dolci, house made desserts; Paninetti, artisanal sandwiches; Contorni, sides, such as asparagus and salad; Tramezzini, traditional finger sandwiches; and of course, coffee drinks, wine and Spritzes. Everything is made in house with Eataly’s selection of premium products.
La Torre at Caffé Lavazza PHOTO: Eataly
Dino Borri, Eataly USA’s Vice President of Brand Partnerships beamed with pride as he welcomed guests. “This is the final piece of the puzzle,” meaning that Caffé Lavazza completes all elements of Eataly Dallas, which took a risk opening during the pandemic. According to Massimiliano Tosi, Marketing Manager for Eataly Dallas, the store has been warmly received by Texans and its performance has exceed expectations.
Caffé Lavazza’s show-stopping menu item is La Torre, the tower, a two-tiered selection of sweet and savory items to enjoy with coffee or wine in the beautifully decorated space, gleaming with marble and deep royal blue leather banquettes, glittering with photos of Italian life, anchored by a light sage and cream terrazzo floor.
You don’t see Italians walking around with paper cups of coffee, rather they glide into espresso bars like this one, order a café and sip while standing at the bar. Consumption there is very intentional, and the design ethos of Eataly and Caffé Lavazza is as well.
Sliced loaf cakes come in several flavors, each dense, flavorful and not the slightest bit dry. I’m partial to the Torta alla Ricotta Arancia, an orange ricotta that I dipped into my Bicerin, an espresso and hot chocolate drink. I also enjoyed the Polentina, a corn cookie with a blueberry jam which paired perfectly with the Limone Spritz, made with Italian sparkling wine, rosemary syrup, lemon juice and club soda. So perfect.
For me, Eataly is the place I go to feel happy, much like how Holly Golightly would visit Tiffany’s when she needed a pick-me-up. With Caffé Lavazza now open, I can linger a little longer there and pretend I’m in Italy. At least until I can really be there.
