Downtown LA’s seminal, nearly century-old food hall got a new, fresher lease on life in 2013. Today, it’s bustling with updated purveyors and restaurants (customers, too), from the upscale egg sandwiches at Eggslut to one of the country's best burgers (and the beef to make your own) at Belcampo Meat Co.
Alongside these new ventures, longstanding Latino vendors like Ana Maria, with its overstuffed gorditas, are crucial to the appeal; it’s that diversity that makes the market delicious — and unique as a one-stop, culinary snapshot of the LA food scene.
What to Order: O.G. Pastrami at Wexler's Deli; pupusas at Sarita's Pupuseria; Thai barbecued chicken at Sticky Rice; the Slut at Eggslut; Texas brisket at Horse Thief BBQ
We Love: That the stoneware mugs, handmade in Silver Lake for G&B Coffee, are available for sale.
317 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA —> Map It!
213-624-2378
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Bakeshops are hardly rare these days, so finding one as charming, inventive, and delicious as Kristen Murray’s luncheonette is a delight. With an open kitchen, a few tiny booths, and fresh flowers, the all-white dining room is a tranquil spot to enjoy a cup of tea and a treat from the fika case (currant scones, brioche rolls, tea cakes…) or a glass of wine with one of her more composed desserts like Murray's black pepper cheesecakes.
Creamy and tangy with pops of spice, they rest upon nutty, golden-brown cookies and are the ideal vessels for whatever seasonal compote she whips up that day. Stop in after 4 p.m. for fer vermut and sample a selection of Spanish and French vermouths accompanied by an assortment of savory snacks.
What to Order: Lemon soufflé pudding cake; chocolat fondant tarte; Cocoa Puff palmier cookie; carrot and horseradish tartine
We Love: That the handsome hand-sewn matpakke lunch sacks and the beautiful aprons are available for purchase.
921 SW Oak Street, Portland, OR —> Map It!
503-224-9921
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How can a food truck parked in the backyard of Wonderland bar in Austin with an eight-item menu be a nominee for one of our best new restaurants of 2014?
Because the food that chef Thai Changthong prepares (under the guidance of Austin chef-restaurateur Paul Qui, who operates this fleet of East Side King trucks) — incendiary beef panang curry, grilled pork shoulder with fiery Tiger Cry sauce, and black noodles tossed in sweet soy sauce — will obliterate your senses, in the best way possible.
Fortunately, the open-air, party-vibe setting provides easy access to copious amounts of (cheap!) beer. Really, this could be the best way to spend a Friday — or any other — night. Period.
What to Order: Grilled baguette with peanut sauce and pickles; fried chicken with boom-boom sauce; waterfall pork
We Love: That the truck's artwork was designed by Japanese punk rocker Peelander Yellow.
At Wonderland, 1104 East Sixth Street, Austin, TX —> Map It!
(no phone)
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Check your authenticity meter at the door: Chef Quealy Watson's mix of Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, and American ingredients and techniques is all over the map — but it's one helluva delicious ride.
Sprung from the same mental space as Danny Bowien's lauded Mission Chinese (think huge, mostly Asian flavors; no rules), Hot Joy thrives on the passion and technical skill that Watson puts into dishes like crab fat–caramel wings and his many riffs on fried rice.
Combined with the place's Chinese-restaurant-of-yesteryear/opium-den decor, the whole experience is a trip.
What to Order: Tiger salad; lamb dan dan noodles; dirty fried rice; black sesame ice cream with banana cake
We Love: That Watson is not afraid to admit that he loves (and uses) MSG.
1014 South Alamo Street, San Antonio, TX —> Map It!
210-368-9324
Central Provisions is everything you'd expect from a great (little) restaurant in a great (little) food town like Portland: Chef Christopher Gould is über-conscientious about sourcing, ensuring the impeccable quality of each local strawberry, cut of lamb, and — this being Maine — seafood delivery.
The menu runs the gamut from Thai-inspired Chicken Bo Ssäm to Italian-ish trofie pasta with arugula pesto, but our favorite way to experience Central Provisions is at the salvaged-wood chef's counter, watching Gould's intricate crudo preparations — informed by his days working at Boston restaurateur Ken Oringer's sushi bar, Uni — fly out of the kitchen.
What to Order: Any crudo (fluke ceviche, yellowfin tuna, tuna tartare…); Spanish mackerel with cherry jus; local mushrooms with nam prik
We Love: How the barstool seats are covered with recycled burlap bags from Central Provisions's coffee roaster.
414 Fore Street, Portland, ME —> Map It!
207-805-1085
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Chef-restaurateur Josh Henderson, chef Zoi Antonitsas, and designer Matthew Parker have built the type of restaurant of which lifestyle dreams are made, complete with stunning lakefront views and a main dining room that feels straight out of "The Life Aquatic."
At its heart is the wood-fired oven, where Antonitsas watches over one bubbling-hot dish after another, from meltingly soft braised lamb shoulder to gigante beans with tomato and feta. Go for lunch. Go for cocktails. Go for dinner. Whatever the time, you'll never want to leave.
What to Order: Oysters; smoked Manila clam dip; braised Oregon lamb shoulder
We Love: That boats can dock at Westward's pier and drop into Little Gull Grocery to pick up cured meats, growlers of beer, and other picnic necessities.
2501 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA —> Map It!
206-552-8215
When April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman (of New York's the Spotted Pig and The Breslin, among other notable spots) took over this storied San Francisco dive bar, they kept its tattered soul intact while introducing a menu of rustic, modern Italian dishes — the first food served there in decades.
And what food it is: Chef Josh Even's roast chicken for two, with a side of insanely crispy potatoes, is a meal you'll want to eat every night of the week (and don't skip the other veggie sides). Even better that the dish is served in one of the city's greatest rooms, given new life by Bloomfield and Friedman. You'll find us at the bar.
What to Order: Roasted treviso; linguine with Manila clams; hanger steak with sunchoke purée
We Love: That the iconic Marilyn Monroe photo in the men's room inspired an entire Monroe-themed WC under the new management.
242 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA —> Map It!
415-986-9651
The food at Ignacio Mattos's downtown restaurant is at once visionary and elusive: The Uruguay-born chef does brilliant things with little-heralded ingredients like … endive and mussels. He makes ricotta dumplings that are on another planet.
And then he obscures it all, carefully plating each dish to look as if there's practically nothing to it. Perhaps it's this sense of mystery that makes Estela so intriguing. But more likely, it's that Mattos's food — served in what has quickly become the quintessential bustling, cool, downtown space — is just so consistently, outrageously delicious.
What to Order: Beef tartare with sunchoke; mussels escabeche on toast; ricotta dumplings; panna cotta
We Love: How co-owner Thomas Carter adds another layer to the restaurant with his funky Old World wine list.
47 East Houston Street, New York, NY —> Map It!
212-219-7693
Head baker Alex Bois' bread program is the not-so-secret star of chef Eli Kulp's menu: The levain with vegetable ash, anadama miche (made with molasses and cracked corn), and buckwheat cherry are already legendary.
Used as the foundation for outrageous breakfast sandwiches like the Forager (with king oyster mushrooms, braised kale, and a fried egg) or as the base for decadent tartines (topped with, say, lobster knuckles) at dinner, these are loaves worth building a three-meals-a-day restaurant around — which is exactly what Kulp has done.
What to Order: The Best Grilled Cheese Ever; the Forager breakfast sandwich; rye rigatoni with pastrami ragù
We Love: That High Street worked with local artisans Felt & Fat on the cool custom plates for the restaurant.
308 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA —> Map It!
215-625-0988
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In a city whose food culture is otherwise known mostly for power lunches, Rose's Luxury stands out. Chef Aaron Silverman (who did time at David Chang's Momofuku and Sean Brock's McCrady's) stresses hospitality, which means you're in for a night of knowledgeable and friendly service.
And the eclectic menu — which intertwines Southern comfort food with ingredients and ideas from Southeast Asia, Mexico, Italy, and France — is a hit parade of crowd-pleasers like juicy fried chicken and crazy-sounding (but successful) experiments like pork sausage with coconut-chili sauce and lychees.
What to Order: Pickle-brined fried chicken; bucatini with Sun Gold tomatoes; lemongrass shellfish stew
We Love: How for Rose's private rooftop dinners, each guest leaves with a to-go bag, including a house-smoked brisket sandwich, bag of chips, and a Capri Sun.
717 8th Street SE, Washington, D.C. —> Map It!
202-580-8889
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