Remember last week when we got all giddy over the fact that L.A. had more restaurants than any other city on Bon Appétit's list of 50 nominees for the title of Best New Restaurant in America? Well, today the final list of the ten best new restaurants in the nation — according to restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton — came out, and the one Los Angeles spot is Grand Central Market, at number 10. 

This is ironic, of course, because Grand Central Market isn't new at all — in fact, it's almost 100 years old. Knowlton acknowledges this in his blurb on the market, saying “What in the world is a 97-year-old food court doing on this list? Let me explain.” He goes on to talk about the current renaissance going on at the market, all the new vendors, making an argument that while the place itself isn't new it gives us a new option for dining in Los Angeles. 

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And while I'd love to argue that there are some actually new spots in L.A. that might deserve a spot on the top 10, I agree with Knowlton that Grand central is in many ways the best example of what's interesting and exciting about dining in Los Angeles right this minute. A place you can get a tasting menu dinner at the counter of Belcampo, some of the city's best coffee at G&B, an outrageously good reuben at Wexler's Deli, and carnitas by the truckload at Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, all under one roof? It might now be new, exactly, but it's worthy of extreme pride. 

For the rest of Knowlton's list, he sticks to more traditional, actually new restaurants (though there is one food truck on the list). The number one spot this year goes to Rose's Luxury in Washington D.C., and Knowlton's reverie about the place seems to make the argument that a restaurant can be the best as much because of the way it feels (in this case, super fun and welcoming) as how the food tastes. 

There's also a list of the five best new cocktail bars (no L.A. bars make the list), and an article about the top 25 food trends of the year, with revelations such as “hipsters like ethnic food,” and the fact that uni is the new bacon. 

You can check out the whole package, which includes a video on the history of Grand Central Market, here. 

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