Work has brought me to Los Angeles for conferences over the past few years and I am always enthralled by the dynamic food scene. Before my last visit, I had some local friends compile a list of places to visit. This list is small and if you do a little research, you will find even more treasures.
My friends know I love food halls and the Grand Central Market does not disappoint.
In the 1980’s and 90’s Food Courts sprung up in every mall in America. They had sub-par and standard offerings that I like to forget. In Europe, Asia and Australia, the Food Halls remained a culinary presence for collecting provisions and catching a quick bite of local and authentic cuisines. Thankfully, the twenty-first century has brought these back to the USA and many new ones are planned in places like New York City and Chicago.
The Grand Central Market LA houses nearly 40 food vendors, some non-food establishments and events that include music and walking tours. Before its arrival and several world-class art and music venues, Downtown LA or DTLA was not seen as a must visit spot. On the Sunday I last visited, the placed was packed with diverse patrons, live music, and an energy that I could only describe as spirited.
I had a breakfast sandwich from Eggslut, an extraordinary latte from G&B Coffee and a scoop of the best ice cream I ever had from McConnell’s, a Santa Barbara landmark. Their “no crap added” ice cream is a do not miss at the market.
The Line Hotel, opened up shortly before a work conference trip a few years ago was a hipster paradise in Koreatown. The restaurants in the hotel were not even open yet, so it gave me an opportunity to explore Koreatown. Here is the info on The Line Hotel LA
My go to spots in Koreatown include: The Holy Crab, Genwa, and The Bun Shop are favorites, but the LA Times and We Like LA have great lists of this amazing culinary destination for Korean, Thai, Latin Fusion, Donuts, Gastropub, and even Louisiana food in the sector.
My last stop before heading to Long Beach Airport is a stop at Jongewaard’s Bake N Broil with a few of my friends. An extensive list of creative omelettes, pancakes and extraordinary baked goods and pies are on the menu. And usually a slice of pie is taken out for the long flight back to the east coast (Lemon Cream Pie is a favorite). Jongewaard’s Bake N Broil
Cannot wait to head back to LA.