Gourmet Food Courts

Humans in the Western Hemisphere of Planet Earth in the early part of the 21st century are involved with sex, love, family, friends, survival, work, entertainment, tattooing, drinking, shopping, buying overpriced beauty products, travel, healthy or unhealthy eating, drugs, pop music, and sex. 

Me? Mostly I just do lunch.

If like me, you eat out often, and again like me, you do that alone too often, you probably appreciate the new gourmet food courts that have been cropping up everywhere. I know I do. These places don’t seem to care if you're alone or in a party of ten. You get the same service. And they don't expect a reservation. The best ones are not really cheap but the bill comes to less than it would in an old fashion, full-service restaurant. And the cuisine is a level higher and more interesting. 

The Time Out Market in Lisbon, their first, is huge with 24 food stalls, 8 bars, shops, and live music concerts. It's become Lisbon's number one tourist attraction. There are now Time Out Markets in Miami, Boston, Chicago, Montreal, and one just a short walk from where I stayed with my friend in DUMBO Brooklyn. There's another one scheduled to open in London next year. 

Frankly, I found the Time Out in Lisbon overwhelming. Variety is nice but too much variety makes it hard to choose. 

Here in Liverpool, we now have the Duke Street Food and Drink Market. They opened recently in an attractive, bright space with 7 food stalls. One does very good Italian (at last!), and another features Cuban cuisine. All eateries these days offer both vegetarian and vegan items on their menus. 



The one thing I have a problem with at Duke Street is understanding the various stall menus. I have no idea what they have on offer at the (Spanish?) place on the top level . . . and I just spent almost a year in Seville.