Archive for the ‘Grand Central Market’ Tag
On one side of Bombo Foods is a display case with fresh fish on ice. On the other is a small seating area looking directly into the kitchen of this food stall in Grand Central Market. Half a dozen stools are separated from the cooking area by a small counter, glass and a row of steam kettles.
Each time I visit the market, there’s a huge line for Egg Slut, another food stall. I haven’t wanted to wait, so I don’t know what the allure is, but I loved having a seat at Bombo, with my back to the line and my eyes on chef Mark Peel and his crew preparing food. At one point, Peel leaned over the glass to ask how everything tasted. I had food in my mouth, so I nodded with an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I opted not to have fish, but instead ordered fried chicken with steak fries. Fresh herbs augmented the impressively moist chicken beneath its crispy exterior. The fries were fine, and I liked the tart beet and cucumber salad, which, because of its size, was merely the suggestion of a side dish.
The steam kettles are attention grabbers. One of the cooks explained that steam is shot into the kettles from an opening in the bottom with no liquid added. These are widely used on the East coast.
I already know what I want on my next visits – of which I hope there will be many: the mussels, the short ribs, the clams, the ….
Bombo Foods
Four-and-a-half Plates
Grand Central Market
317 S. Broadway
Los Angeles
Angelinos have shopped at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles since 1917. Today, they’re also enjoying cuisine prepared by various vendors sharing space with the grocers. My mom recalls going there as a child with her mother and aunts to do much of their weekly shopping for everything from produce to dried beans, from meat to cheese.
There’s still a butcher, but a more upscale one and the same is true of the cheese purveyor. Many of the transactions for produce are spoken in Spanish. Much of the food is traditional ethnic street fare; some is on the trendier side. It’s a food court with character and characters.
Before a recent visit we created a list of the places we wanted to sample: Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, Sarita’s Pupuseria, Texas barbecue from Horse Thief, Sticky Rice and Bel Campo. We made it to the first two and were too stuffed to eat anything else. Well, except for ice cream from McConnell’s.
The tacos were massive: mounds of carnitas doused in a blend of spicy red and green salsas. Although the tacos were huge in size and flavor, the best part may have been waiting in line (line is used loosely here). I didn’t have enough confidence in my Spanish to order but I understood what those beside me were having and what the men behind the counter were asking.
Sarita’s Pupuseeria was also a popular spot and the line (this one appropriately named) moved slowly. While you wait it’s fascinating watching the women make the thick pancake-like shapes. We tried some filled with refried beans, cheese and pork with cheese. The latter was the tastiest thanks to gooey cheese and shredded pork, but it was also the greasiest.
We’re looking forward to another visit so we can cross the other places off our list.
Grand Central Market
Four Plates (and lots of napkins)
317 S. Broadway
Los Angeles
On one side of Bombo Foods is a display case with fresh fish on ice. On the other is a small seating area looking directly into the kitchen of this food stall in Grand Central Market. Half a dozen stools are separated from the cooking area by a small counter, glass and a row of steam kettles.
The Blue Page Special 
