BY ZANDER REYES
Imagine an event in bustling Los Angeles where you and your friends can play a round of Jenga, Uno, or even Cards Against Humanity, while eating foods from around the world. Well, there is a spot where that thought has become a reality. It is known as the Grand Central Market Game Night (317 S. Broadway). Sitting in the center of the city, inside the Grand Central Public Market, someone has come up with this bright idea to bring people together to play some fun games. Every Thursday from 6-9 p.m. you can not only eat your favorite foods at an affordable price, but also partake in the weekly game night that the popular L.A. establishment hosts for free!
The real question is, how did the owners of the Grand Central Market invent Game Night? Hannah, the Game Night Hostess, answered that question for me.
“Grand Central Market wanted to promote staying open late, so in order to promote staying open later, they created Game Night,” Hannah said.
Although they want people to stay throughout the evening, Hannah recommended that the time to join the fun is around 6 p.m. in early summer, because there are a lot of college students there and it’s a lot of fun! Around 30-60 people are usually there. The usual crowd at the Game Night consists of college students playing ping-pong and cornhole. Almost all of the 20 games that they lend out are being used.
“The environment is very friendly, happy, strangers are asking each other to come play games. It’s very nice. It’s a good place to take a break after work and hang out.”
To her knowledge, no one famous has appeared. It’s Los Angeles, so I’m sure the time will soon come.
If you want to grab a bite and play a game of your choice, you only need about one to two hours. You have plenty of food to choose from, anything from Mexican to Japanese. The food service is fast and affordable, a 5 to ten minutes wait, and a $10 bill can get your hunger satisfied. You may think the food can’t be great for such a short wait, but you’ll be surprised of the quality and taste of the food offered.
Borrowing a game is easy. You simply trade in your I.D. and take a game from the desk, or you can even join an existing game. The staff is friendly, and the environment is diverse. Any time is a good time to come in the fall, as there was only 10 other people there when I went. Still, the music was playing, laughter can be heard from the other tables, and it was evident that people were having fun.
When it was time for food, I ordered a carne asada and grilled chicken quesadilla ($7) from Ana Maria’s and a grilled beef ramen ($6) from Bento Ya. The quesadilla was a good size, roughly more than half of a paper plate, which could easily be shared between two people. The carne asada was juicy, well-grilled, and paired good with the queso that they used. The grilled chicken was also great. It had a nice coat of Mexican spice. The ramen on the other hand, came in a huge cup that was at least 7 inches tall and 3 inches wide. That was definitely not a bad portion for $6. Once you opened the lid to the ramen, you can see the steam rush out of it. It was boiled to a perfect, hot temperature. In the ramen itself was of course mouth-watering grilled beef that was nicely soaked with the juice, delectable, spaghetti-like ramen, crunchy and crisp bamboo shoots, cooked seaweed that tasted like spinach, and a handful of sesame seeds. The food in my opinion was extraordinary. I completely recommend any of these choices to anyone. But if I can, I highly recommend the ramen!
After finishing my scrumptious food, it was time to select a game. There are about 20 tables in the game area. Some were occupied by people playing a game of Jenga with extra large pieces. Another table was laughing while playing Cards Against Humanity, while another couple played a different game. The hostess stood behind a counter ready to assist you. I chose Cards Against Humanity. I was ready to show my parents the crude humor of the game. Throughout the game, we could not help but laugh out loud. The sounds of Jenga pieces crashing to the floor could not stop us from having our own fun. I have a feeling that no matter what game you choose, you are guaranteed to have a good time.
Overall, the Game Night experience was great, from the exemplary ramen, to the great quesadilla, to the hilarious and fun hour of Cards Against Humanity that I played with my parents. I recommend it to anyone who either wants to go out for fun night or just to hang around with friends and play some quick rounds of Jenga or Uno. It is perfect for all ages as well, which makes it an outstanding family outing!
Rating: A+
Price: $
