La Tostaderia: Fish Tacos and Ceviche Stand Out at Grand Central Market

Grand Central Market's recent addition of ceviche and fish taco stand La Tostaderia joins Wexler's Deli as the latest reason you don't have to spend an hour in line at Eggslut to have a delicious meal at the rapidly-changing food hall. Owner Fernando Villagomez has long run carnitas stand Las Morelianas in the market, and he's now partnering with chef Sandra Felix for a counter that's an ode to fresh, modern Mexican seafood preparations.

fish tacos at la Tostaderia

Both fish and shrimp tacos were excellent, with green salsa verde providing a tart, zingy contrast to freshly-fried nuggets of corvina fish topped with crunchy bits of pork chicharones.

campechana verde ceviche

While the tacos were our favorite at a recent tasting, ceviches were also a cut above most Mexican restaurants in L.A., especially the smooth and tangy Campechana verde with shrimp, squid, scallops and corn nuts and the scallop aguachile. Most dishes are $8-10, but that seems worth it for the fat tacos and solid portions of ceviche. When Golden Road Brewing opens later this year in the market, their beers should make the perfect pairing with La Tostaderia's appealing seafood dishes.

Wexler's Deli Updates the Bagels, Lox and Pastrami We All Love

L.A. has been a little behind in the artisanal deli movement. While Portland's Kenny and Zuke's has been open for years, Micah Wexler's new Wexler's Deli stall in Grand Central Market is the first stab at a new-style deli in our area. There's nothing wrong with Nate 'n Al's or Brent's, but operating from a small space in the newly-gourmetized market, former Mezze chef Wexler cures his own pastrami, corned beef and lox and partners with local bakeries to get the breads just the way he likes them. The rye bread comes from Etxea, while the bagels are a special bake done just for Wexler's from Santa Monica's New York Bagels. And of course the dill pickles are house-fermented.

On a quick trip recently, I didn't get a change to taste the pastrami (though the fact that Wexler grew up eating at Langer's is probably a good sign), but I did have one of the chewy, flavorful bagels topped with cream cheese and one of the best silky, mild loxes I've ever tasted. The bagels aren't quite as dense as a true New York bagel but they're certainly closer than most in L.A., with so much more heart than the typical doughy local specimen. I'm not much of a babka person but I couldn't stop eating the dark chocolate-laced cake. The sturgeon was also a winner. Keeping the menu focused in the tiny space allows Wexler to work on getting a few things completely right, and Beverly Hills should be very jealous that Downtown gets a place like this before they do.