On a corporate scavenger hunt through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, chasing our clues from the public library to Disney Concert Hall, one of our stops led us to The Grand Central Market. Opened in 1917, Grand Central Market is a 30,000 square foot arcade whose mission is to celebrate the cuisines and culture of Los Angeles. The space houses over 30 vendors, with everything from a coffee shop, to an oyster bar, to a pupuserÃa. We were intrigued by one vender with a rather unappetizing, and slightly disconcerting, name of Eggslut that had an unusually long line. What on earth was everyone waiting for in this interminable line? And was it worth it? I had to return to check it out, so return we did the following morning.
Wandering around the Grand Central Market is a food lover's paradise...Bento Ya Japanese Cuisine, Berlin Currywurst, McConnell's Fine Ice Cream (from Santa Barbara!), and Horse Thief BBQ, just to name a few. This was one occasion where I wished I were part cow so that I could have 4 stomachs: one for tacos, one for cheese, one for Chinese noodles, and one for Eggslut sandwiches. I made a pretty good effort with just one stomach (minus the noodles...they just wouldn't fit).
And at stall D-10, on the Broadway Street side, a bright neon sign that simply reads "Eggslut". Eggslut is the brainchild of Chef Alvin Cailan, an Oregon Culinary Institute grad, whose love of the egg inspired him, in 2011, to provide an "eggstraordinary" culinary experience to diners all day long.
The problem was the line...it was super long. What to do while we wait? Turned out it was pretty fun. We took turns walking around and tasting what other vendors had to offer, as well as making friends with others in line (a shout-out to the nice rep from KeVita probiotic drinks...Mango Coconut is my fave...found at Whole Foods).
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| The line for Eggslut weaved in and around |
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| We bought some cheese from DTLA Cheese |
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| Tasted kombucha teas at Better Booch |
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| Sipped on juices from Press Brothers Juicery |
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| Ordered some carnitas at Las Morelianas from a very jolly fellow |
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| Amazing carnitas...must order with cuerito and add the red salsa |
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| The counter at Eggslut |
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| The menu |
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| The kitchen |
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| The Fairfax |
The Fairfax sandwich has soft scrambled eggs with chives, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and Sriracha mayo on a warm brioche bun. The brioche buns are made fresh daily by a bakery in Arcadia, CA, and are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The Fairfax as a whole was so flavorful and soft, you almost didn't have to chew. Definitely comfort food at its finest.
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| Another shot of the Fairfax sandwich |
The Bacon, Egg & Cheese includes an over-medium egg with cheddar cheese, hardwood smoked bacon and chipotle ketchup on a brioche bun. A little more chewing involved, but delicious nonetheless.
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| Bacon, Egg & Cheese |
And when we thought our stomachs couldn't handle it any longer...we found the room to squeeze in the Slut. OK, so the name may be a bit off-putting, but many in line had told me it was their favorite. A coddled egg that has been cooked in a jar, on top of mashed potatoes, the Slut can be served with a baguette, or with a salad, for the wheat-free set. When I return, and I will return, I will order this with a salad (while I am taking bites off of Hubby's egg sandwich), for the express purpose of leaving room to try other delicacies in the market.
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| The Slut |
So, bottom line: run, don't walk to LA's Grand Central Market (and actually, as we found out, you can take the subway...did you know that LA has a subway?). There is something for everyone there...a culinary wonderland.
LA's Grand Central Market
Hours: Sun - Weds 8AM - 6PM, Thurs - Sat 8AM - 9PM
317 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
TEL (213) 624-2378
FAX (213) 624-9496
www.grandcentralmarket.com
Have a very merry weekend!
xo M
All photos by Marci Symington for texaztaste.blogspot.com, and yes, all opinions are mine.
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