By Lauren Collins

We just eat, drink and shop in it. As the Italian megamarket launches even more outposts (including this week's Eataly Downtown in New York—and then a 20-acre theme park!), writer Lauren Collins pays a visit to the city where the Eataly phenomenon began.

Francesco Farinetti is the eldest son of the family that controls the leading multinational retailer of Italian food. But there he was in Alba, Italy, sitting on a bench like a regular guy, buds in his ears and La Repubblica in hand. "This is my brother Andrea coming," he said, as a BMW slid into a nearby parking spot. I took a mental note: Francesco, 36, sky-blue button-down shirt, Ray-Bans, cotton scarf, sweet smile; Andrea, 26, a dead ringer, but with braces and scruffier hair.

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Source: http://www.foodandwine.com/