10 of the Most Delicious Food Halls in America

In these hallowed halls, variety is the spice of life.

By: Rachel Tepper Paley

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Photo By: Julie Harmsen, www.melrosemarketseattle.com

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Melrose Market (Seattle)

Melrose Market is ensconced in a set of historic automotive buildings that date back to as early as 1919. With original brick walls and exposed heavy timber beams, the space is a beautiful backdrop for outfits, including wine bar Sitka & Spruce and whole animal butchery Rain Shadow Meats. Be sure to swing by Still Liquor for a stiff cocktail like the Green Hemingway, a blend of rum, green tea, Luxardo and lime juice, or the Godfather Sour, which marries 12-year-old Scotch with amaretto and lemon juice.

La Centrale Food Hall (Miami)

Expect all things Italian at this gleaming 40,000-square-foot food hall. On the ground floor of La Centrale is Mercato, where you'll find everything from pressed panini stuffed with prosciutto, artichokes, arugula and curls of Parmesan to fresh cannoli overflowing with pistachio-studded cream. In the floors above, you'll find restaurants galore—seafood-focused Pesce, meat-centric Carne, vegetarian Stagionale, gelato emporium Venchi, and more—plus Italian wine bar Enoteca on the top floor.

Grand Central Market (Los Angeles)

Opened in 1917, Grand Central Market is a Los Angeles institution. Spread across its 30,000-square-foot arcade is everything from a traditional Latin grocery to an authentic Berlin currywurst spot. Sure, you can buy your week's worth of fruits and vegetables here, but as of the last few years, you'll also find some of LA's hippest food purveyors, including sandwich-focused Eggslut, modern Jewish delicatessen Wexler's Deli, falafel emporium Madcapra and more.

Great Northern Food Hall (New York)

New York City is home to tons of amazing food halls, but Great Northern Food Hall, tucked inside bustling Grand Central Terminal, stands out for its focus on New Nordic cuisine. Masterminded by Danish restaurateur and magnate Claus Meyer, Great Northern is all about simple, farm-to-table cuisine by way of Scandinavia. Think hearty, open-faced beef tartare sandwiches on dark, rye-based smorrebrod bread, and braided kanelsnurr pastries studded with cinnamon, sugar and cardamon.

Ponce City Market (Atlanta)

Once the site of an enormous Sears, Roebuck and Co. store and warehouse, this 16-acre lot underwent an extensive, three-year renovation in 2011 to make way for Ponce City Market. Several James Beard Award-winning chefs have spots here, including Anne Quatrano (W.H. Stiles Fish Camp), Linton Hopkins (Hop's Chicken) and Sean Brock (Minero). No matter what you're in the mood for—whether it be fresh seafood, cold-pressed juice or locally-made kimchi—there's a good chance you'll find it at Ponce City Market.

The Barn (Lexington, Ky.)

In the heart of The Summit at Fritz Farm—a massive retail-and-residential development that opened in 2017 just a few miles southwest of downtown Lexington—is The Barn, Kentucky's first-ever artisanal food hall. More than two dozen vendors have since set up shop, including Atomic Ramen from MasterChef contestant Dan Wu (try the refreshing cold ramen drizzled with a lemon-spiked mayo and sesame dressing) and craft ice cream shop Crank & Boom (go for a tangy scoop of the Kentucky blackberry and buttermilk flavor).

Oxbow Public Market (Napa, Calif.)

Napa isn't just for wine. This fertile corner of California is also famous for its grander agricultural bounty, on full display in the city's famous Oxbow Public Market. The 40,000-square-foot marketplace, which opened about a decade ago along the Napa River, is home to local food vendors and cafes like cult burger spot Gott's Roadside, legendary oyster purveyor Hog Island Oyster Co., charcuterie and butcher shop Fatted Calf and small-batch craft spirits specialist Napa Valley Distillery.

Fareground (Austin, Texas)

Fareground, Austin's first-ever food hall, only just opened in January 2018, but it's already one of the hottest food destinations in town. The options here are dizzying, from Henbit (the breakfast burrito, kolache and klobasnek destination from owners of downtown Austin's Emmer & Rye) to Dai Due Taqueria (from hyper-seasonal and sustainable taco specialists Jesse Griffiths and chef Gabe Erales) to an outpost of can't-miss cheese emporium Antonelli's Cheese Shop. It doesn't hurt that the space itself, designed by famed Austin-based architect Michael Hsu, is drop-dead gorgeous.

Findlay Market (Cincinnati)

Findlay Market has served Cincinnati for more than 160 years, making it the oldest public market in the state of Ohio. Between the fresh produce stalls you'll find cheesemongers, butchers and prepared food specialists slinging their goods. Don't leave without sampling some goetta, the city's iconic pork-and-oat sausage patty.

Ferry Building Marketplace (San Francisco)

The Marketplace in San Francisco's historic Ferry Building, which opened in 2003, arguably heralded the begining of a food hall renaissance that's since spread across the country. Merchants like Acme Bread Company, Blue Bottle Coffee, Boulettes Larder and more can be found lining the building's dramatic indoor street—the Nave—making it a must-visit destination.

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10 of the Most Delicious Food Halls in America

Related To:

Shop This Look

Melrose Market (Seattle)

La Centrale Food Hall (Miami)

Grand Central Market (Los Angeles)

Great Northern Food Hall (New York)

Ponce City Market (Atlanta)

The Barn (Lexington, Ky.)

Oxbow Public Market (Napa, Calif.)

Fareground (Austin, Texas)

Findlay Market (Cincinnati)

Ferry Building Marketplace (San Francisco)

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