Mario Batali's Eataly Single-Handedly Battles Unemployment Rate

By Alex Van Buren Wed., Aug. 11 2010 at 2:20 PM

Categories: Eating News

mariobatali.com

If the signature shoe fits ...

Know any Italian-speaking clog lovers who adore Mario Batali and want in on his new culinary megaplex?

They're in luck! Eataly is staffing up, if a Craigslist chock-full of ads -- 81 in total -- is any indication.

They're seeking butchers ($15-$17 per hour), bread and cheese clerks ($9-$12 per hour), wine sales associates ($10 per hour), and many more. Details about Eataly can be gleaned from the ads: Shop hours will be 10 a.m. till 11 p.m. -- perfect for those who find themselves charcuterie-less and desperate in the Flatiron District at 10 o'clock at night. Most ads are written in CAPS, and all résumés should be sent to Vincent Roazzi Jr. So Italian!

You could even crash an interview, since many are simply open-house: This morning should have seen a fleet of trained butchers lining up at Del Posto, and the required qualifications were twofold: 1) Cheese and meat experience, and 2) Passion for Italian food and Slow Food; Italian fluency a plus. "Italian fluency" came up in nearly every ad, and the vision of a megaplex full of Italian-Americans chattering about prosciutto and cappuccino is definitely a riveting one. Especially if they're all wearing orange clogs.

Have a restaurant tip or other food-related news? Send it to fork@villagevoice.com.