Further fueling Downtown LA’s Historic Core as a major destination to visit, several of the neighborhood’s acclaimed restaurants received high accolades in End of Year lists and press for 2014.
After being home to Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant in America in 2013 (Alma at Broadway/9th), the Historic Core was lauded again by the food magazine, ranking Grand Central Market (Broadway/3rd) amongst America’s 10 best. The food hall, which has existed in Downtown since 1917, came into its contemporary self in 2014 with several notable additions. LAist ranked Wexler’s Deli, the New York-style Jewish deli in Grand Central Market, in their list of Best New Restaurants in LA for the year.
In LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold’s list of the 10 Best Dishes in 2014, he awarded a classic lox, bagel and cream cheese at Wexler’s as one of the best in LA. Along with Wexler’s, Gold featured the polpettine di gamberi at Maccheroni Republic (Broadway/4th) and the crudite plate at chef Josef Centeno’s Ledlow (Main/4th) amongst the best dishes.
Ledlow, the revised restaurant that was formerly Pete’s Cafe, also received significant praise from Gold in his December 2014 review of the restaurant. Gold praises Centeno’s vision and cooking, writing, “In his way, Centeno, master of genre cooking, is trying to make a bold statement about serious American cuisine, with forthrightness and (a) sense of purpose.” Along with Ledlow, Centeno’s Bar Ama (4th/Main), his gourmet tex-mex neighborhood favorite, has been included in Eater LA’s Essential 38 Restaurants in LA. The quarterly list also features culinary hot spot Alma (Broadway/9th).
The french toast at Ledlow on Main/4th
Many acclaimed spots opened last year, including Guisados Tacos and Gelateria Uli at the Spring Arcade (Spring/5th), L.A. Chapter at the Ace Hotel (Broadway/9th), and Hero Shop (6th/Los Angeles) from the team behind Black Hogg in Silver Lake.
More local food-focused excitement is slated for 2015, as Eater LA mentions BierBeisl Imbiss (Spring Arcade at Spring/5th), Madcapra Falafel (Grand Central Market), and Big Gay Ice Cream (9th/Broadway) as amongst the 20 Most Anticipated Openings for 2015.
