Sunday, May 18, 2008

GO: Grand Central Market

I like to go to Grand Central Market on a weekly basis because I can buy produce for dirt cheap, and it reminds me of my beloved Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver, BC. Although GCM is a ghetto version of Granville Island, it's an endearing ghetto version. While Granville Island has charm and a semi-posh feel, GCM has character and grit. And I love both equally but for different reasons. One thing that I appreciate about GCM is that it caters to ethnic customers, particularly Latinos.

Some of my regular purchases at GCM are dried beans (garbanzo, black, and white) and dried fruit (one particular vendor has the most extensive selection I’ve seen). Also, I can’t leave without getting a smoothie from La Adelita Tortilleria, which serves the best tasting smoothies I've ever had. I'm not a smoothie person because I often find them overly sweet and thick. But La Adelita's are made with fresh fruit. Strawberry-Mango and Strawberry-Pineapple are my favorites so far. You will also find a fine selection of aguas frescas (fresh juice) and you can take your pick of jamaica, watermelon (sandia), tamarind, strawberry, mixed fruit, horchata, and others. The watermelon juice is particularly refreshing and absolutely lip-smacking.

Grand Central Market also has many food stalls and you can choose from Mexican, Salvadorean, Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Middle Eastern cuisines. I haven't tried much of the food selection but I plan to in the future.

GRAND CENTRAL MARKET
317 S. Broadway @ 4th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Open everyday 9:00am-6:00pm


::5 stars::