In Bon Appétit's most eclectic and unexpected list of best new restaurants to date, you'll find a sprawling downtown market, a Thai food truck, and an adorable "pastry luncheonette."
The choices may surprise you, but it's exactly that high-low, anything-goes mix that so perfectly summarizes the way we eat now.
10. Grand Central Market, Los Angeles
Downtown LA’s seminal, nearly century-old food hall got a new, fresher lease on life in 2013. Today, it’s bustling with updated purveyors and restaurants (customers, too), from the upscale egg sandwiches at Eggslut to one of the country's best burgers (and the beef to make your own) at Belcampo Meat Co.
Alongside these new ventures, longstanding Latino vendors like Ana Maria, with its overstuffed gorditas, are crucial to the appeal; it’s that diversity that makes the market delicious — and unique as a one-stop, culinary snapshot of the LA food scene.
What to Order: O.G. Pastrami at Wexler's Deli; pupusas at Sarita's Pupuseria; Thai barbecued chicken at Sticky Rice; the Slut at Eggslut; Texas brisket at Horse Thief BBQ
We Love: That the stoneware mugs, handmade in Silver Lake for G&B Coffee, are available for sale.
317 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA —> Map It!
213-624-2378
Read More: Bon Appétit's Rules for Going Out to Eat: Where to Sit, What to Order, How to Share
9. Måurice Luncheonette, Portland, Oregon
Bakeshops are hardly rare these days, so finding one as charming, inventive, and delicious as Kristen Murray’s luncheonette is a delight. With an open kitchen, a few tiny booths, and fresh flowers, the all-white dining room is a tranquil spot to enjoy a cup of tea and a treat from the fika case (currant scones, brioche rolls, tea cakes…) or a glass of wine with one of her more composed desserts like Murray's black pepper cheesecakes.
Creamy and tangy with pops of spice, they rest upon nutty, golden-brown cookies and are the ideal vessels for whatever seasonal compote she whips up that day. Stop in after 4 p.m. for fer vermut and sample a selection of Spanish and French vermouths accompanied by an assortment of savory snacks.
What to Order: Lemon soufflé pudding cake; chocolat fondant tarte; Cocoa Puff palmier cookie; carrot and horseradish tartine
We Love: That the handsome hand-sewn matpakke lunch sacks and the beautiful aprons are available for purchase.
921 SW Oak Street, Portland, OR —> Map It!
503-224-9921
Read More: How We Cook Weeknight Chicken Dinners Without Recipes
8. Thai-Kun, Austin, Texas
How can a food truck parked in the backyard of Wonderland bar in Austin with an eight-item menu be a nominee for one of our best new restaurants of 2014?
Because the food that chef Thai Changthong prepares (under the guidance of Austin chef-restaurateur Paul Qui, who operates this fleet of East Side King trucks) — incendiary beef panang curry, grilled pork shoulder with fiery Tiger Cry sauce, and black noodles tossed in sweet soy sauce — will obliterate your senses, in the best way possible.
Fortunately, the open-air, party-vibe setting provides easy access to copious amounts of (cheap!) beer. Really, this could be the best way to spend a Friday — or any other — night. Period.
What to Order: Grilled baguette with peanut sauce and pickles; fried chicken with boom-boom sauce; waterfall pork
We Love: That the truck's artwork was designed by Japanese punk rocker Peelander Yellow.
At Wonderland, 1104 East Sixth Street, Austin, TX —> Map It!
(no phone)
Read More: The Top 25 Restaurant Trends of 2014
See the rest of the story at Business Insider