April 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Good Taste: Touring Downtown’s Treasures

By Barbara Bishop

This past weekend, I decided not to do my Laundry, wash my car, grocery shop or anything resembling an errand. I took a break from the mundane and went downtown.

I have been wanting to visit the Central Market. I can’t believe it; the place is 100 years old, I’ve been in L.A. for 25 years, and I didn’t even know it existed. It was time.

My friend took the Metro from Long Beach and I took the Metro from Santa Monica. Beats traffic and parking. I’ve never been a train or bus gal; but I am really liking Metro. Can’t wait until the Hollywood route finishes construction to Beverly Hills.

My friend and I met up with each other at Grand Central Station, the main train station in Downtown L.A. I have not been there for at least 15 years. (Spending all my time on weekend errands ends in 2018!) The station was built in the 1930s and was recently restored to its original glory. It wasn’t a just a train station for me; it was a beautiful work of art from a distant era.

We walked through the elegant lobby into the area where the trains were housed. We presented our tap cards to the computerized entrance gate and identified the correct Metro train to get us to our final destination – The Central Market. Going down the escalator to the actual train tracks was so cool; it was very high tech, completely different than the noisy, gritty subway train stops my grandmother and I experienced in Chicago when I was a little girl.

Two stops Later, we reached our destination, and climbed back up into the bright sunlight of the day. Turns out we got off one stop too early, and were surrounded by what looked like a group of gangbangers. Oops. (Note to self, do not get off at the stop again.) We scurried across the street and quickly walked two blocks to our destination.

We were at Central Market! I experienced a slight sensory overload, taking in all the people, smells, lights and food stations in the large warehouse-like space that housed the market. We dove right in with the rest of the patrons, slowly worming our way around the facility. Out of at least 30 outposts, there were two places that had the longest lines for food; one was Egg Slut, a popular breakfast joint, and another was a Mexican food place that everyone waiting in line swore was the best Mexican food in LA. We took our place in line for some tacos and burritos.

10 minutes later, we had two plates; one held two very large tacos and the other an even larger burrito. My friend has good seat-finding Karma, so we immediately located an empty table and sat down to scarf our lunches. The burrito was huge; about ¼ of a baseball bat (the thick end,) and my tacos were more like four tacos instead of two; I had a chicken and a pork taco smothered in green chili salsa, a healthy sprinkle of cilantro on top of the salsa, finished with sliced avocados. Limes accompanied the dish, which were generously squeezed onto the tacos. OMG! The most amazing tacos. And they were $7 for two. Both were incredibly tasty. I will be back.

After lunch, we went outside to get some respite from the tastes, smells, and crowds. As we walked out, Angel’s Flight was right across the street. Again, 100 years old and I was never on it. And it had closed. Or so we thought. After little more observing, it was clearly running. We walked across the street to check it out. Our timing was perfect, people were disembarking, and when they were done, we jumped on. The trolley-like train moved slowly up the tracks, leaving us off in an upper part of the city. We walked around for a while, admiring the city views below us and then decided to go back to where we were to catch the Metro back to the main station. The cool part of it all was the ride was a dollar!

Hey Westsiders! Have friends in for the holidays? Take them Downtown. The train is the best way to get down there, and for under $15 you can have a great time and take in the history of our fair city. Happy holidays!

<>Related Posts

SM.a.r.t Column: Bring Back The Music 2.0

March 23, 2025

March 23, 2025

This is an update of the article appearing in the SM Mirror on Feb 1, 2025 On January 28th, 2025,...

Letter to the Editor: Close the Fairview Library??

March 17, 2025

March 17, 2025

By the Santa Monica Public Library Board, Judith Meister, Chair, Dana Newman, Vice Chair Antonio Spears, Boardmember Daniel Cody, Board Member...

SM.a.r.t Column: Fire Safety in Los Angeles: Reimagining an Age of Megafires

March 16, 2025

March 16, 2025

Los Angeles stands at a critical juncture in its relationship with fire. It is true that climate change intensified vegetations...

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium: The Cultural Icon Santa Monica Needs

March 9, 2025

March 9, 2025

Santa Monica is a city of innovation, creativity, and world-class attractions, yet it lacks a central cultural destination that reflects...

SM.a.r.t Column: The Perils of Passing the Buck: How Self-Certification Threatens Public Safety in Building Design and Construction

March 2, 2025

March 2, 2025

In the bustling city of Santa Monica, California, a quiet revolution is underway in the world of building design and...

SM.a.r.t Column: Bring Back The Music

February 16, 2025

February 16, 2025

On January 28th, 2025, the City Council did a wise thing and agreed to continue the process, for 30 days,...

SM.a.r.t Column: The Water Crisis Behind LA’s Fire Disaster: A Legacy of Outdated Infrastructure

February 9, 2025

February 9, 2025

A firefighter filling a trash can with pool water during the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires tells a story more...

SM.a.r.t Column: California’s Fire Safety Evolution: Meeting Modern Wildfire Challenges

February 2, 2025

February 2, 2025

The devastating fires that struck Los Angeles in January 2025 echo a pattern of increasingly destructive wildfires reshaping California’s approach...

SM.a.r.t Column: Peril, Prevention, and the Path Forward

January 26, 2025

January 26, 2025

The recent Palisades and Altadena fires brought Los Angeles’ inherent contradictions into sharp focus as residents fled their homes in...

SM.a.r.t Column: A New Path Ahead

January 19, 2025

January 19, 2025

The recent Palisades Fire is profoundly impacting the people of Los Angeles, displacing families, destroying property, and creating an enduring...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Adaptive Liveability

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

You know, sometimes you walk by a building and think, that place has some stories to tell. What if those...

SM.a.r.t Column: Happy Holidays

December 22, 2024

December 22, 2024

S.M.a.r.t. (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow) is wishing you a wonderful holiday season. We hope you are surrounded...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Preserving Santa Monica

December 15, 2024

December 15, 2024

Since Giving Tuesday I’m sure you have been bombarded with appeals from countless organizations, local, national, or even international that...

SM.a.r.t Column: Climbing The Vertical Learning Curve

December 8, 2024

December 8, 2024

The city is facing a financial crisis, the roots of which stretch back decades but have been made worse by...

SM.a.r.t Column: It’s Time To Inspect Balconies

November 24, 2024

November 24, 2024

About nine years ago, a fifth-floor balcony in a Berkeley apartment building collapsed, tragically killing several students gathered on it...