Cleveland's West Side Market is sure to make your mouth water
Cleveland's only publicly owned grocery facility, the West Side Market, greets visitors to its main building with the intoxicating smells of freshly baked bread, fried pierogi, Italian sausages, kielbasa and kraut, and corned beef sandwiches -- enough to make anyone's mouth water! The rainbow backdrop features crisp, fresh vegetables and fruits like deep green zucchini, plump red tomatoes, juicy purple grapes and bright yellow bananas and peppers.
Opened in 1912, the market features amazing Byzantine-style architecture, both beautiful and classic. The inside of the market boasts a 44-foot vaulted ceiling adorned with colorful terra-cotta tiles. There's no doubt about it: The market looks as amazing as its wares taste!
The West Side Market's produce and floral vendors reside in the market's semi-enclosed outdoor area. That long corridor often bustles with shoppers while vendors shout out sale prices and offer fresh produce samples. While the produce selection is always very diverse, the best selection is found during the summer and autumn months.
Shoppers will find the market's produce much fresher than traditional supermarket selections. Much of it is also locally grown. The prices compare very favorably with local grocers', as well: Shoppers face an excellent chance that they will spend only about half of what they'd normally spend at a retail grocery store. For example, in season, Bing cherries can be quite pricey, usually hovering about $7 per pound in the grocer's produce section. At the market, it isn't at all uncommon to find them for $3 to $4 per pound. The rest of the items offered at the market usually follow suit.
The indoor facility houses poultry, dairy, meat, fish and bakery vendors, specialty shops and restaurants. The grid-style layout makes navigation easy. There is a strong ethnic diversity among both the shop owners and the foods they sell. From authentic Hungarian strudels to homemade Italian pastas to Greek olives, the market offers something for everyone. Shoppers will find Asian, Arabic and German food stores on the campus. One can even purchase Amish chickens and eggs, and non-homogenized natural milk and cheeses! The butchers at the West Side Market sell fresh, local meats that are often cut right on site. An array of fresh deli meats is also available.
Several bakeries offer delectable treats, such as home-baked breads, cakes, Danishes, kuchens, baklava, cookies and much more. Looking at the scrumptious confections as they sit in their glass display cases is almost as enjoyable as eating them! (At least that's what you'll think before you sink your teeth into the German kuchen, chocolate chip cannoli or apple fritters!)
Arrive early to the market to avoid long lines and crowded common areas. If you plan on purchasing more than a bag or two of groceries, bring along a push cart, since the market does not provide shopping carts.
- by LeeAnn Mullen, Cleveland Reporter for HelloMetro
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