Where: Los Angeles
What: Grand Central Market PlaceList
Who: Before becoming the patron saint of the petit four in Los Angeles, Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections was an actress, yoga instructor and worked in restaurant management, so despite hailing San Francisco, we like to think she’s “very LA.” Considering her dedication to farmer’s market fresh ingredients and classic recipes, it comes as no surprise that Food Network, James Beard Foundation and LA Mag revere her coffee crunch cakes, artisanal chocolates and savory meals year after year. Although Valerie has three locations, she holds a special fondness for her Grand Central Market stall, where she and her husband Stan were some of the first businesses to sign on with the new renovation in 2013. “I really feel that the philosophy at Grand Central Market and our company’s philosophy are very much in alignment. What we do is always very timeless and classic. We love the fact that it’s a historic place that’s being preserved and revived. It has a remarkable palette for Los Angeles—different types of foods and makers,” Valerie tells us over the phone. From Hainan chicken and homemade cheese to bourbon and freshly butchered beef, here are Valerie's Grand Central Market go-to's:
Image courtesy of Arden Shore
Valerie Confections
Valerie Gordon: Our menu at Grand Central Market is intentionally uncomplicated. The most expensive item is $13 by design. Maybe you’re with a group of people and someone is getting a beer across the market andm someone else wants falafel over at Madcapra or a breakfast sandwich from eggslut ... You’re going to be walking around, looking to spend time with friends and family, so you’re not there for fine dining service. For first-timers, I would recommend trying the Smoked Salmon Banh Mi. Smoked salmon is a surprising thing to find on a banh mi. But the smokiness and the texture works so well with seared jalapenos, pickles and ciabatta Get a side of roasted vegetable salad, which always changes a little bit. All of those vegetables come from Tutti Frutti at the Santa Monica Farmer’s market! For dessert I would try the Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake or the Salted Caramel Bread Pudding. Then, take a box of petit fours and chocolates to-go.
Courage and Craft
VG: We are very dedicated patrons of Courage and Craft, the alcohol stand in Grand central Market. Stan and I like to make cocktails at home. They have such an incredibly well curated list of ryes, whiskeys bourbons and vermouth. We almost exclusively buy our bar supplies at Craft and Courage.
Sticky Rice
VG: The Hainan chicken at Sticky Rice is one of my favorite lunches. Specifically, they give you a side of chicken broth with garlic rice alongside the chicken, and I crave that chicken broth all the time. I just think sticky rice has gotten better and better each year they’ve been open. That one dish is incredibly good.
DTLA Cheese
VG: My god, I rely on DTLA Cheese! They have these wonderful $5 sandwiches that are perfect for when you just need to grab something. Lydia Clarke knows so much about cheese. She’s so fantastic. I love her dearly as a friend and as a neighbor. She’ll always guide me to something new in the case. Something that’s incredibly fresh. Something that’s really expensive that I need to taste. Just to have that exceptional array of cheeses and charcuterie is fantastic.
Valeria's Chiles & Spices
VG: We use a lot of spices from them as ingredients for products that we make. We started doing a couple of things after we opened at Grand Central Market after walking around and going Oh, I want to use these ingredients. We use their chipotle, we use their red mole in our mole brownies that we only sell at Grand Central Market. We don’t sell them anywhere else. It’s all so gorgeous. Just laying out and incredible. All of our dried chiles we get from them. All of our mole. It’s lovely.
Belcampo
VG: I love the beef at Belcampo. I was a vegetarian for a long time, and now I’m a very stimulated omnivore, but I’m very particular about the meat that I will eat. I feel good about eating meat from Belcampo. I feel good knowing about how animals are raised, what they’re fed and that it’s completely natural. Yes, it’s a little more expensive than what you might get at the supermarket, but I’m completely OK with that, knowing that the health and well being of my family and the environment are worth it.
Madcapra
VG: The drinks at Madcapra are absolutely craveable! They make a beet and sumac soda. It is so refreshing. Craving something specific is really the earmark for me. I live a life of food. I’m constantly exposed to it, so if I crave something, and can’t wait to get it, that’s exciting. That’s the goal. The sumac soda is a perfect natural soda. You always want a second one.
Petit Fours from Valerie Confections courtesy of @letmeeatcake
Smoked Salmon Banh Mi courtesy of Valerie Confections
Belcampo burger courtesy of @foxjhw
Header image of Valerie Confections at Grand Central Market courtesy of Arden Shore