DeKalb Market Hall

A food market is defined by its roster of vendors, and DeKalb Market Hall’s collection makes an impressive statement. To start, there is a Katz’s stand, which lacks the ramshackle fluorescent-lit charm of the full delicatessen but nevertheless turns out textbook pastrami sandwiches that live up to the reputation of the Lower East Side originals. Elsewhere in the market, pulled-pork sandwiches, saucy chicken kebabs, pickle-packed chicken sandwiches, gooey cheeseburgers, and Ample Hills ice cream are all accounted for, as well. And even though they aren’t technically part of the hall itself, you’ll also find pizza from Fortina, or face-melting dan dan noodles from Han Dynasty if you’re in the mood for a sit-down dining experience. Hey, there’s even a Trader Joe’s if you’d rather just buy some rosemary-fig crackers. Really, the only thing holding DeKalb Market Hall back is the fact that, as one descends the City Point escalator into this neon-lit, hypercaloric food court, it’s impossible to shake the feeling that you are, without a doubt, eating in the basement of a mall. It’s a nice mall, and the food is uniformly impressive, but the subterranean space can be both a literal and figurative downer.