Grand Central Market (https://grandcentralmarket.com/) first opened in Downtown Los Angeles in 1917. I can’t imagine the countless changes it went through during its first century, but it is now a culinary destination for Angelenos and tourists alike, with countless delicious options all concentrated in one dreamlike food hall. And there are few things I love as much as exploring and eating my way though a historic food hall in great American cities.
I will note that my adventures at Grand Central Market took place during three separate visits on three separate work trips to the city. I didn’t eat all this food on one trip, I assure you!
On my first visit, I got two tacos from Villa Moreliana, almost like a little snack. I knew they were going to be great, since there were so many different cuts of meat to choose from. I would have loved to try them all, or at least most of them. I can’t think of any taquerias here in Orlando that serve kidney or heart, but if you’re aware of any, let me know, since I would love to try those!
This is their magical, masterful al pastor, marinated pork slowly roasting on a vertical spit called a trompo:
The two tacos I ended up getting from Villa Moreliana were lengua (beef tongue) on the left and al pastor on the right. Both were served on double corn tortillas (made fresh), under a mountain of crispy and tangy pickled onions. The al pastor was masterful, and the lengua wasn’t bad either.
I wasn’t planning to order any pasta on my second visit to Grand Central Market (later in 2023), but once I paused under the neon sign for Knead and checked out all the fresh pastas to choose from, I had to try them for myself.
Here are some of the fresh, handmade pastas at Knead: 
Look at that gorgeous squid ink pasta on the right! Goth pasta, I always call it. 
But despite the Goth pasta, I chose mafaldine, such a great pasta shape that is hard to find most places. They cooked it up to a perfectly chewy al dente and served it with a trio of meatballs and some bright and fresh-tasting marinara sauce. 
I make pasta at home once or twice a month, but even though I buy DeCecco and Rao’s pasta, bronze-cut and imported from Italy, these fresh noodles from Knead hit different. 
On my second visit, I also tried Salvadorean food for the first time at Sarita’s Pupuseria, which was briefly featured in the delightful musical film La La Land. 
Since it was my first pupusa, I ordered a traditional one that was listed first on the menu: the revuelta, with pork, beans, and cheese. I watched ladies rolling dough into balls, then flattening them out to add fillings, sealing them with more flattened dough, and grilling them to get the nice crispy exterior. I got a small piece of chorizo sausage on the side, as well as an order of platanos fritos, fried plantains that were so molten hot (temperature-wise, not spicy) that they scalded my mouth. The cole slaw-looking side is curtido, pickled cabbage, which is cool and crunchy and tangy, and it came with the pupusa. 
Here’s a peek inside the revuelta, to see the pork, beans, and cheese therein.
This is still my one and only time trying Salvadoran food. It would be nice to find a pupuseria here in Orlando and compare it to Sarita’s. Any recommendations, folks?
Ghost Sando Shop has expanded to six locations in and around L.A., including the one I visited on my second and third trips to Grand Central Market. On the new cop show Ballard (a spinoff of Bosch, both based on characters by the author Michael Connelly), they referenced Ghost Sando and showed the bag.
All their sandwiches (I hate saying “sandos”) come on these wonderful Dutch crunch rolls, which are large hoagie/sub-style rolls that are soft inside and lightly crispy-crackly on the exterior. Both times I visited Ghost Sand Shop, I got the Uncle Nikki to go, with Genoa salami, pepperoni, capicola, and provolone cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pepperoncini, and mayo, drizzled with house-made Italian dressing and house sub dressing (mad respect for dual dressings!) and sprinkled with Italian herb seasoning.
They wrap their sandwiches up tight, and they travel surprisingly well without leaking. Once I packed one of these bad boys in my backpack and ate it in the Dallas airport during a long nighttime layover home from L.A.
On my third visit to Grand Central Market, in 2024, I made the mistake of going in the evening rather than at lunchtime, and more than half the vendors were closed! Luckily for me, Nonna’s Empanadas was open, so I ordered a variety pack of six different baked empanadas: beef jalapeño, cheeseburger, salsa verde chicken, Filipino chicken, veggie, and samosa veggie (which was vegan). I didn’t eat all six of these in one sitting, believe me! They made great hotel room snacks over the next couple of days. 
Here’s the beef jalapeño:
Here’s the cheeseburger:
This was the salsa verde chicken:
So this would have to be the Filipino chicken, with kind of a soy-based adobo thing going on:
Luckily for me, the veggie did not contain mushrooms, but plenty of broccoli, corn, onions, and I believe red bell pepper:
And this was the vegan samosa veggie, with potatoes, peas, and I think some peppers: 
Sadly, the Grand Central Market location of Wexler’s Deli closed since my first visit to the market in 2023, along with the Santa Monica location. The only Wexler’s Deli location left is in Las Vegas! But this stacked, hand-sliced pastrami sandwich was the very first meal I EVER ate in Los Angeles. 
The pastrami was rich and marbled, the rye bread was solid, the potato salad was creamy and tangy, and Wexler’s used Kosciusko mustard, which I reviewed in my second Cutting the Mustard review. It was a great pastrami sandwich, but I have since learned that Wexler’s smoked fish options were even better. I wish I could have tried them too, but I don’t see myself visiting Las Vegas anytime soon, if ever. 
After visiting Wexler’s Deli and Villa Moreliana on my first visit to the Market, I picked up an assortment of eye-catching doughnuts from The Donut Man to bring to work, hoping to make the best possible first impression on my first ever trip to campus. I’m sorry I never got a photo of those doughnuts, but I will never forget the dozens of bees buzzing around The Donut Man stall, and how nonchalant and completely unbothered and unworried the employees seemed. I guess they just get used to the bees, and the bees get used to the people, but I was nervous for them and for myself as well! The Donut Man has been operating in suburban Glendora (which I only know from the Rilo Kiley song) for over 50 years, but opened its stall in Grand Central Market in 2020.
I put off publishing this review because I visited Grand Central Market twice in 2023 (August and November) and once in 2024 (November), and I wasn’t sure when or if I would return. But after waiting all that time, Wexler’s closed, so I decided to run the review and not wait any longer.
I will also say that if you do visit the Market, it is literally across the street from two Los Angeles landmarks that have been featured prominently in some classic movies and television shows, so you should totally play tourist and experience them for yourself.
One is the ornate and timeless Bradbury Building, which opened in 1893 and was featured most prominently in Blade Runner (1982), the legendary sci-fi neo-noir set in a dystopian (but somehow still beautiful) future L.A. It was also used as a location in Bosch, (500) Days of Summer, Lethal Weapon 4, and the Lethal Weapon TV show, which you probably forgot existed — but it was fun! As a tourist, you can only go into the lobby, but I took plenty of photos from down there. Here are but two, to set the scene:
And for only a dollar each way, you can ride Angels Flight Railway, the world’s shortest funicular railway, up and down a hill. Angels Flight has been operating since 1901, and over the last century and a quarter, it has been featured in so many things, including Bosch, the excellent HBO Perry Mason series (and the original series too!), La La Land, and so much more.
I rode the Angels Flight Railway on my second trip to Grand Central Market, after my lunch. There are some beautiful views of DTLA at the top of the hill, along with a beautiful little garden area with tables and chairs and a cool, pleasant breeze blowing through. I will remember to get my order(s) to go whenever I return, since dining up there would beat being crammed onto a stool eating in the busy food hall.
And I absolutely hope to return to Grand Central Market in the future. I love food halls, and while it isn’t as massive and sprawling as Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia or Pike Place Market in Seattle, it still has a huge variety of restaurant stalls to choose from, and I’ve never been disappointed by anything I’ve tried there. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, you will have a blast exploring and eating your way around the Market. Just try to time your visit for lunch, since I discovered so many of the stalls close early.
The Saboscrivner 