How food halls are redefining the way we eat

This piece originally aired March 10, 2016.

It should come as no surprise that celebrity chef Mario Batali makes a mean sandwich. Batali owns more than two dozen restaurants, so it may surprise you that his latest spot is little more than nestled among five other booths at a food hall called "The Pennsy."

"When I was growing up... you might go to the mall and get yourself an Orange Julius or go to an ice cream place, but it was never a serious gastronomic experience," Batali said.

But a food hall is not just any ordinary food court.

"I mean, the idea here is to make something delicious, authentic and hand-made," Batali said. "This is not machine-made food. There are cooks in the stations."

The stations are manned by both famous chefs and those just getting started - all clamoring to be a part of the food hall movement. Among them is Chef Hannah Chung, who cooks up Korean delicacies at "Simply Seoul" in the Central Food Hall at Atlanta's Ponce City market.

"It's actually really a big deal for me because I'm such a little business, and I'm very new in my career. And this was my big break," Chung said.

According to Andrew Knowlton, deputy editor of Bon Appetit, America is in "the middle of a food hall explosion," which reflects the new way Americans eat.

"If a celebrity chef is not exploring food markets or doing food on a much casual level, you're probably not going to know who they are in 20 years," Knowlton said. "I think it's a huge deal. You've got to figure out a way to get your product in the hands of people that want it, you know, and a lot of people don't want to go to those fancy restaurants or don't want to spend a lot of money, and this is a way for them to get that same great taste from that same great chef at, you know, a one-hundredth of the price."

Food halls are also leading the way in another trend - reclaiming underused urban space.

Ponce City Market was once a hulking Sears warehouse and store, before being taken over by the city in 1991.

"I think that there is - in Atlanta in particular - a resurgence of culture and a renaissance that's happening in art, music and food," Chung said. "I think it actually brings more depth and meaning and authenticity to the movements."

"For us, this is a different step. This is away from the real bricks and mortar. It's just a great opportunity to play in a different field," Batali said.

According to Batali, the movement is also revolutionary for the customer.

"The customer no longer has to go to the greasy pizza shop across the way - the customer can come in here and on five different days, eat at five different chefs' visions of what this food can be."

And that's the point of food halls - shared overhead for restaurateurs and a smorgasbord of choice for hungry customers.

"When you go into those places, you think you're looking for one thing, but you discover a whole new thing," Knowlton said. "So maybe we finally have solved the age-old question - Where do you want to eat tonight?'"