Marian Cepeda
HMGT 1102
Professor Krondl
Food Hall Reaction Blog
Ever wondered what is like to go out and try different kinds of food? The different smells, tastes, shapes, colors that the food industry can provide. Food Halls also do this for us. The Plaza food hall located in 59th street under the Plaza Hotel is one of the places that with their amazing and different variety of foods can expand our taste in food.
The Plaza Food Hall is very fancy and interesting, the design on the walls is different from other hotels it was modern but at the same time I felt like I was in a castle, the golden color of the walls and the lights were low which made me feel relaxed. The first floor was filled with fancy jewelry stores. I took the escalators down to the lower level where the food hall was located, and there I saw so many food stands. It was hard for me to just pick one. Each food stand sold something different, they sold things like, soup, cake ,donut ,crepe stand, tea , and last but not least a pasta. I was indecisive and did not know where to start, i walked in circles wondering, then, I decided to try pasta. The squid ink pasta, yes! Squid ink, it goes well with this kind of pasta because of it purplish color. At the “ORA DI Pasta” they give you different kinds of options, you can make your own pasta and watch the amazing service provided by Kevin who greeted me with a smile as soon as I walked in and took my order. My struggle to pronounce “squid ink pasta” made him laugh, he gave me different sauce options and ofcourse, I chose the best sauce, my personal favorite, Alfredo sauce and added some fresh tomatoes and shrimps to go,It was delicious!, it was also very affordable, I payed $21 for my food. The place was decorated with chalk boards that had quotes about food in Italian. The smell of the tomato sauce and the other smells around was so strong I can almost taste it.
At Ora DI Pasta , the products were handled with care and since my order was to go, they gave me a very nice plate and put my food in a bag that contained a flyer, their business card, parmesan cheese, tissues, and garlic bread. I could taste the Crepes from the place next door, and the smell of donuts. I was intrigued by the macaron gift box but it was too expensive, it costs $74.00, but I hope one day I can go back and try it. There was so many things but there was one thing I did not want to try, it was a pie made with potatoes, caramelized onions, and eggs, almost like a omelette but in shape of a pie. The customers looked like people who were staying at the hotel, the way some were dressed made it seem like a conference room full of business people, others looked like tourists, taking pictures of the food and trying different things. At the food hall I noticed how the cooks have conversations with the customer, asking them how they are doing and if they would like to add anything special to their meals, which I loved because it’s always important to communicate with your customers and give them he best service, it attracts customers. The prices on the food were very affordable, the crepes were $10, the pasta was $21, the donuts were $9 for 5 small donuts, and a bowl of soup $12. Some things were not so affordable for example, a bar a chocolate in the macaron stand was $40-50 depending on the size and the macarons were 12 pc for $74 dollars.
Food halls are the best places in my opinion to visit when it comes to trying new things. Visiting The plaza Food Hall was amazing and so was the food at the ORA DI Pasta kitchen. I recommend this place. I hope that others like me visit The Plaza Food Hall and have an amazing experience.
images of The Plaza Food Hall
