Food halls are just food markets without the market, for the "upwardly mobile". Baltimore Lexington Market was an indoor food market established in 1782, and s

Food halls are just food markets without the market, for the "upwardly mobile". Baltimore Lexington Market was an indoor food market established in 1782, and still exists today. It's enormous. There are dozens of vendors selling everything from cosmetics and electronics to fresh fish & meat, and lots of prepared foods. One of the city's most famous crab cake eateries, Faidley's, has been operating here since 1886. Another famous one is Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. Established in 1893 (young whipper snapper!), it's the same idea as Lexington Market, but a bit more upscale. Tons of vendors selling an array of products, and an easy (if not crowded) meeting place. There are very few original food markets left in the US, but the few that do exist are community gathering places in addition to being a good meal at a decent price, and a place to do some shopping. They're not inscrutable or poorly understood. But they're also not regular restaurant businesses. Stalls come and go every year, and the really good ones (usually family owned and operated) thrive with a repeat customer base as well as tourist flare.