Photos: Grand Central Market

Lamb heads and livers and beef tongues are among the items in the meat case at Belcampo.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

David Tewasart works the counter at his Sticky Rice restaurant, a newer vendor that serves Thai street food.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Tewasart displays a typical dish served at his Thai eatery.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Barbecued ribs with potato salad and greens at Horse Thief BBQ, a vendor on the Hill Street side of the market area.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Russell Malixi and Wade McElroy are the owners of Horse Thief BBQ, which specializes in Texas-style barbecue.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Side dishes can change at Horse Thief BBQ, but they are usually the typical barbecue joint offerings.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Tomas Martinez, owner of Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, watches the lunch line at his counter, which is often two or three deep per server. One of the original food stands, Tacos Tumbras a Tomas is famous for its heaping tacos of carnitas.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Valerie Gordon is the owner of Valerie Confections, which sells a variety of pastries, desserts, sandwiches and salads, as well as coffee. A favorite is the Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake, to her right.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Valerie re-creates the coffee crunch cake make famous by Blum’s Bakery in San Francisco and Los Angeles.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Gordon, working with her son August, sells seasonal fruit galettes from the pastry counter.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Grand Central outpost is not the only Valerie site. There are also locations in Silver Lake and Echo Park.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Lydia Clark and Reed Herrick run DTLA Cheese, a shop and kitchen that show their passion for fine cheese.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A wheel of cheese is broken down at DTLA Cheese. The new vendor sells cheeses and ready-made food including salads and sandwiches.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Adele Yellin, owner of Grand Central Market, is continuing the legacy and vision of her late husband, Ira Yellin, who invested in the market years ago, gradually rebuilding and revitalizing it with a mixture of new tenants and veteran vendors.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

One of the original stands, Valeria’s, sells dried goods including chiles, spices, beans, moles and dried shrimp.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Whole dried shrimp can be purchased for $20 a pound at Valeria’s.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Stalls that sell fresh fruit and vegetables are still a staple at Grand Central Market, despite the changes that have made it more of a food hall and less of a true food market.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Classic neon signs guide hungry visitors to China Cafe, a purveyor of traditional Chinese food and a longtime tenant.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

China Cafe, adorned with neon above its lunch counter, is one of the older vendors at the market. Customers flock there for the wonton soup and more.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Sara Clark, owner of Saritas Pupuseria, watches while her staff makes some of her famous handmade pupusas. Fried plantains, yuca con chicharon, stews and other Salvadorean dishes are also served at the counter.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Clark celebrates in front of her restaurant.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Some of the Salvadorean offerings at Saritas Pupuseria, including whole fish.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Popular new vendor Eggslut serves fresh egg sandwiches with a variety additions like bacon and cheese.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Alvin Cailan, chef and co-owner of Eggslut, holds up the ingredient he is most known for using.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The lunch crowd at Eggslut wash their egg sandwiches down with orange juice and Cokes at the crowded counter.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The lunch line at Eggslut wraps around the corner of the store.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Fernando Villagomez, owner of Las Morelianas, hands a carnitas plate to a customer.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The lunch crowd at Wexler’s Deli crowds around the stand, with a line for ordering and a waiting area for pickups. The restaurant, a recent addition to the market, makes its own pastrami on site.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)