Is there even room left for more vendors at Grand Central Market? Since its massive revamp more than a year ago, it seems like we hear about a new stall popping up in the Downtown food hall every other week. Don't get us wrong, we have our favorites, but we're hoping there's at least a little of the original market we know and love a year from now. That being said, here are three new vendors scheduled to open at GCM in the next few months.
Bombo: Mark Peel, best known for running LA institution Campanile, is bringing some unique equipment to Grand Central Market next month: steam kettles. Using rapid steam to heat the steel-plated kettles, Bombo will be serving seafood-centric dishes that utilize four different kinds of broth (two seafood-based, two vegetable-based). Expect to see menu items like curried shrimp, seared Spanish mackeral on fried rice, and fish and chips. Peel will also be curating an adjacent fish market—an exciting change for a chef who has spent most of his career in the world of fine dining. Projected opening: March
Madcapra: Is LA's falafel game finally starting to pick up? First comes Dune, a falafel joint in Atwater Village that has already gained some die-hard fans, and now the announcement of Madcapara, a vendor focusing on falafel sandwiches and salads from chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson. The duo, who were previously at Glasserie in Brooklyn, will be serving vegetable-driven dishes with a Middle Eastern flair, and everything will be made on site—including their own hot sauces and bread. Projected opening: Spring
Bruce Kalman's pasta bar: If you're already in love with the pasta dishes at chef Kalman's Pasadena restaurant, Union, you'll probably be one of the first in line at his GCM stall, a pasta bar where you can pick up ribbons of fettuccine, linguini, rigatoni and more. All of the pasta will be made on-site, and an attached market will sell some of Kalman's other products (crossing our fingers for pickles) as well as goodies from additional food artisans. Projected opening: Summer
And one more...: Details are still being worked out, but another opening from the owner of Las Morelianas, the already-popular GCM vendor that specializes in carnitas, is in the works. It's good to know that GCM veterans are getting in on the expansion, even as outside vendors start to move in.
How do you feel about the continued overhaul of Grand Central Market? Let us know in the comments below!