Well today I turn forty, and as the day winds down (one minute left in NYC) I look fondly at my lunch at the Birreria located on a rooftop at 5th avenue and 23rd. The Birreria is part of Mario Battali’s Disneyland of Italian cuisine known as Eataly. It is a crowded maze of market kiosks and restaurants selling everything that is Italian. It is a jaw dropping place for any food enthusiast.

The Birreria: It’s like a pizzeria…but for beer!

With the aid of some huge signs, we are guided past a cooler displaying a wall of Italian craft beer (being careful not to slip in my own drool) and to the elevator to go to the 14 th floor.

To get from the fourteenth floor to the roof with a stroller, you need to use a tiny service elevator which was a bit of a horror show, but we made it.

These in house beers are great. First we tried the Gina, which has a hint of Thyme. Leave it to an Italian chef to try to blur the lines between cooking and brewing. Surprisingly, (although gently reminiscent of the brine from my thanksgiving turkey) it wasn’t a waste of thyme at all, and it tasted pretty good. It has a mild aroma with a nice bold bite, and a nice citrus aftertaste.

The food was unreal. The beer, surprisingly, actually complemented my grilled steak quite nicely.

Before dessert I tried the Wanda, which is a little darker, and has a bit of hazelnut flavour, like you are drinking beer and eating Nutella at the same time.

I was fortunate to get some tiramisu away from home, because my mom makes it for me every year on my birthday. This one was not as good as my moms, but it was really quite nice.

As we left, that scary service elevator was broken…haha… At least we weren’t inside.

This rooftop restaurant certainly manages to take your food and beer experience to the next level (literally). The staff, like most people in New York, we’re helpful and friendly, although, having the word’s cutest two-year-old boy in tow probably helps.

Beer ratings: Gina 3/5, G1; Wanda 3.5/5, G2