The Mile High City’s Foodie Heaven. Credit: James Florio
The food hall trend that has been sweeping across the country for the past few years is now a part of everyday life. From the Bay Area to South Beach, galleries of gastronomy, serving gourmet bites, craft cocktails and date night backdrops, just keep popping up. While it would be nearly impossible to mention every delectable food hall in the country, we’ve collected a roster of mainstays and soon-to-open markets that our stomachs can’t stop thinking about.
Denver
Roughly a year ago, developer Ken Wolf teamed up with Denver restaurateur Jeff Osaka (12 @ Madison, Osaka Ramen) to open a food hall near downtown in the RiNo (River North) district. The result is the successful Denver Central Market, which gives a real sense of Colorado’s culinary scene.
Inside the industrial-chic emporium, get breakfast pastries and fresh bread at Izzio; treat yourself to ice cream from High Point Creamery; pick up gourmet coffee from Crema Bodega; sip a craft cocktail at Curio; or sit down for a full pasta meal at chef Andrea Frizzi’s Vero.
Zeppelin Station. Credit: Zeppelin Station
About six minutes away is the March 12-opening Zeppelin Station, a sleek venue featuring Montreal-style smoked meat from Au Feu, elevated Indian street food by Namkeen and addictive Korean fried chicken from Injoi Korean Kitchen. Once you’ve tucked into those bites, sidle up to Kiss and Ride for a cocktail to wash it all down.
In sticking with the theme, since this modern train station is meant to be an outpost for the light rail nearby, on the wall near the entrance you can check train times before you depart.
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San Francisco
While lollygagging around the Bay Area, stop in the Ferry Building and visit the tried-and-true vendors there. But once you’re done at that tourist staple, venture over two miles to check out one of the newer food halls in town, The Market.
Located in the Civic Center neighborhood, this bright space hosts more than a dozen eateries. Indulge in premium hand rolls from Mara, a fast-casual sushi joint; grandma-style pizza at chef Tony Gemignani’s Slice House; classic carne asada and market vegetable tacos at Taco Bar; and Malaysian food with California flair at chef Azalina Eusope’s self-titled relaxed eatery.
And if you’re looking to pick up local goods to take home or to your hotel, the market portion of the venue features Blue Bottle coffee, fresh fish, a butcher and a vegetable stand.
The Upcoming Morgan Street Food Hall. Credit: New City Design Group
Raleigh
With a burgeoning culinary scene and recent downtown revival, Raleigh is getting in on the food hall trend in a big way. Slated to open later this spring, Morgan Street Food Hall plans to bring a bit of culinary charisma to the trendy industrial warehouse district, offering more than 60 different dining and retail outlets in a refurbished 22,000-square-foot former mill.
From boba tea and bánh mì to curry and crepes, almost any craving can be satiated here. But the biggest draw will be the first North Carolina storefront from popular food truck Cousins Maine Lobster.
When you’ve had your fill, don’t forget to peruse shops from local vendors, including The Soaperie, Durham Toffee and Carolina Fancy Foods.
Ponce City Market. Credit: Ponce City Market
Atlanta
Ponce City Market is the city’s preeminent address for choosing your own adventure in culinary delights. Though it opened back in 2014, the retail haven, which has the Central Food Hall at its core, keeps reinventing itself with fun (the carnival-like Skyline Park) and new flavors (the December-opened Batter Cookie Dough Counter) — not that there was anything wrong with old reliables such as Anne Quatrano’s W. H. Stiles Fish Camp, Sean Brock’s take on Mexican fare at Minero and Linton Hopkins’ H&F Burger and Hop’s Chicken.
Rendering of The Daily. Credit: Strada
But while PCM reigns as the standard-bearer in the city, other established halls (Krog Street Market) and soon-to-come stops (Midtown’s Main & Main) are also worthy of your attention. Spring-debuting The Daily may be situated just north of the city in Alpharetta, but its 14,000 square feet of beer garden, entertainment venues and food concepts (King of Pops Bar, Biscuit Love) ensure that the drive up will be worthwhile.
Pine Street Market. Credit: Alan Weiner
Portland, Oregon
Pine Street Market, the first food hall in Portland, debuted in spring 2016 inside the historic Carriage & Baggage Building, and ever since then it’s been a hot spot to traverse. Unlike other eating extravaganzas, this modest place only hosts nine shops.
The list includes James Beard Award-winning chef Ken Forkish’s Checkerboard Pizza; chef Josh Scofield’s tapas bar, Pollo Bravo; Japan’s popular specialty ramen shop Marukin (the first U.S. location); and BYH Burgers, a throwback complete with 1990s-themed cocktails and housemade soda.
Don’t pass up a soft-serve dessert from Wiz Bang Bar, a concept from the city’s famous ice cream shop, Salt & Straw. It’s a cozy and busy spot, but a great way to get immersed into Portland’s rich culinary culture.
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Charleston
As one of the smaller food halls on the map, Charleston‘s unique Workshop features six rotating kitchens that highlight new and upcoming chefs, as well as staples to the Southern scene. For example, the space on famed King Street has hosted Todd Lucey and his New York-style pizza, pit master John Lewis’ Tex-Mex eats and Jonathan Ory’s delectable pastries.
The mini restaurants operate for about a year (give or take a few months). Owner Michael Shemtov (who also runs Butcher & Bee, a seasonal restaurant with locations in Charleston and Nashville) dubs it an “exploratory food court”— and it’s just that. See what excitement Workshop has cooked up next in early May, when the Spanglish Cuban Kitchen opens its doors.
Casa Tua Cucina. Credit: Marcello Cassano
Miami
With shops like Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach and Boss, Brickell City Centre has become a mecca for high-end fashion shopping since its 2016 opening. But with December’s debut of Casa Tua Cucina and this February’s La Centrale, cuisine may soon become its biggest draw.
While technically one restaurant, Casa Tua Cucina flows more like a food hall. The sleek 18,000-square-foot space delivers 10 Italian-influenced stations, a full bar, a flower market, home goods and direct access to Saks. Grab a freshly squeezed juice from the salad section to fuel your long perusal of all of the stalls. Once you decide if you’re going with roasted chicken, wood-fired margherita pizza or knock-your-socks-off cacio e pepe, grab a spot in the 300-seat dining area and take a bite out of the Mediterranean marvelousness.
La Centrale. Credit: Michael Pisarri
Just a block over from Casa Tua Cucina, you’ll find more garlic-flavored deliciousness at La Centrale. The 40,000-square-foot, three-level destination features 14 different eateries and five bars. The first floor of Miami’s largest food hall has the look of a traditional piazza and serves casual breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The second floor houses three sit-down establishments: Carne, Pesce and Stagionale. The third floor lures in vino lovers with its wine shop, event space and cooking studio.
