7 great American food halls

New York City might be the capital of food halls (Eataly, Grand Central’s Great Northern Food Hall, Gotham West, etc), but similar eateries offerings many delicious options under one roof are sprouting up from coast to coast. Here’s a look at seven of our favorites.

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Union Market | Flickr CC: Tom Bridge

1. Union Market in Washington, DC

This airy mess hall in Washington, DC is part European central market, part extremely upscale food court. More than three dozen regulars, plus a string of pop-ups, ply visitors with food, drink and the occasionalkitchen product. On weekends, Union Market is packed with the hip set and perfectly-preened professionals downing Korean barbecue tacos at TaKorean or digging into Chesapeake Bay’s finest at Rappahannock Oyster Bar. To avoid massive crowds, visit Tuesday through Friday. That way, you can leisurely peruse the aisles, stopping for a bite of chocolate at Coco Sala or a taste of cheddar at Righteous Cheese without elbowing fellow samplers out of the way.

Avocado Lox at Revival Food Hall | Photo courtesy of @hungerlusts

2. & 3. Revival Food Hall and Latincity in Chicago

The Windy City‘s acclaimed culinary scene received a big boost in 2016 with the addition of two gourmet food markets in The Loop. Revival Food Hall has 15 fast-casual stalls dishing out fare from popular neighborhood restaurants around Chicago and from chefs trying out new quick-serve concepts. Dishes to try include Citrus Chicken Shio Ramen from The Furious Spoon and Brown Bag Seafood’s Shrimp Roll. For something sweet, indulge in Black Dog Gelato.

In the mood for something spicier? Just blocks away, Latinicity provides a delicious twist on Spanish, Portuguese, and South and Central American street food. Stop at the mariscos station for salt-cod croquettes or grab a strip steak with chimichurri sauce from Saladero Grill. For folks who like to be more formal, dine at Pata Negra, a tapas restaurant, or sip pan-Hispanic wines and beers at Latinicity’s wraparound bar.

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Milwaukee Public Market | Flickr CC: Matt Schilder

4. Milwaukee Public Market in Milwaukee

Opened in 2005, this spot has been the spur for the redevelopment of Milwaukee’s hip Historic Third Ward. The Market has a healthy selection of artisan andethnic products, freshly-made prepared foods, and vendors selling fruits, vegetables and other basics. Since this is the Dairy State, don’t miss West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe, which specializes in award-winning Wisconsin cheeses. The wieners aren’t so bad, either.

Denver Central Market | Photo courtesy of Larkey Photography

5. & 6. Denver Central Market and The Source in Denver

Denver’s happening area is River North, which is now home to two market halls—Denver Central Market and The Source. Both serve as one-stop shopping spots for those who abhor the supermarket, or just want to sample some tasty local artisanal offerings. At The Source, Babette’s bread is the best. Go early for the baguettes, which sell out early. For hard-to-find spices, check out Mondo Market—it has every type of spice you can imagine and bee pollen, too. The Source also has a wine shop, a brewery, a coffee house and several restaurants.

Meanwhile, Denver Central Market, which opened in the fall of 2016, is more grocery-focused. Denverites can buy fresh pasta from Vero Italian or bread, cheese, fresh fish and fruit and veggies from other stands. If you want to chow before shopping, try the meatball sandwich at Local Butcher.

Ponce City Market | Photo courtesy of @thirtysevenblvd

7. Ponce City Market in Atlanta

A former Sears, Roebuck & Co. building is now Atlanta’s coolest market. The enormous adaptive reuse project houses apartments, offices, boutique retailers and the Central Food Hall. James Beard Award-winning chefs and purveyors newer to the food scene serve up everything from locally-inspired salads and seafood dishes to international options such as Korean kimchee and South African biltong.

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Tagged: Midwest, Washington DC