The 98-year-old, indoor West Side Market should be gone by now. Located at W. 25th Street and Lorain Avenue in the Ohio City neighborhood, its identifiable clock tower doesn't work; it has a 44-foot-high vaulted ceiling; poor lighting; outdated plumbing; crammed parking; dingy bathrooms and no proper place to eat take-out - plus it's closed Sundays. But, thankfully, life at the iconic market is reminiscent of older European food emporiums that won't embrace the sterile, large supermarket-style of shopping.
No wonder the The Food Network Magazine (September 2010) named it America's "Best Food Lovers' Market." Its heart beats on due to 100 family-run businesses and the one-million-plus visitors who pass through its swinging doors. Put away the cell phone, abandon those tweets, experience the buzz and navigate aisles with the free Merchant Directory in hand guaranteed to stimulate taste buds. Don't leave Cleveland without a visit. And arrive hungry!
What is the West Side Market?
Five food groups dominate here: baked goods, dairy, meats, produce and seafood. The sixth is "Etcetera" and fun to shop. Cash is king, although credit cards are accepted randomly. Some vendors ship and have Web sites. Free samples abound. Opening hours are Mondays and Wednesdays 7am to 4pm and Fridays and Saturdays 7am to 6pm. Saturday is power-shopping day and jammed. The marketplace's centennial in 2012 might introduce Sunday shopping, demonstration kitchens and educational programs. Call 216-664-3387 for more information.
How to Shop and Eat at the West Side Market
This is Mecca for foodies. New shoppers should stroll the aisles remembering favorite stalls for a return visit. Fresh poultry and meats are separated by animal with expert butchers making the perfect cuts. Specialty stands represent Cambodian, Irish, Mexican, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Slavic ethnicities, The 32, fruit and produce stalls line the perimeter of the main building with hawking vendors vying for a customer's attention. Shoppers fill carry-home bags, nibble their way through the maze or hand-pick take-out items, perfect for tourists. An upper gallery is accessed by a stairway for an overhead view or for eating from paper plates on one's knees. Or use garbage bin tops found in all aisles as a table. Others do it.
What to Buy at the West Side Market
All stalls here are top-notch, however, a few resonate.
- Kaufmann's opened in 1932, was awarded "Cleveland's Best Chicken" by Cleveland Magazine and sells free-range and antibiotic-free chicken. Turczyk's Meats specializes in halal goat, sheep and lamb. D.W. Whitaker offers Web coupons and can individually wrap 30-pound case orders. Minnie at Jim's Meats speaks Ukrainian while Frank's Bratwurst has made German-style bratwurst with sauerkraut for three generations.
- Irene Dever's Dairy sells quail and duck eggs; grinds her own peanut, almond and cashew butter. A rare find are the blocks of fresh Wisconsin butter with no oil or water that she cuts to order. Terrific homemade pierogi too.
- Urban Herbs keeps 430 imported items in stock. Tellicherry peppercorns at $2 an ounce are favorites. "Grilling 101 or Baking 101" are $8.95 gift sets also available online. Owner Dion Tsevdos is a Culinary Institute of America graduate with years of kitchen experience who develops custom spice blends for his culinary clientele.
- Ohio City Pasta is hand-made, fresh pasta (not to be mistaken for dry pasta), ravioli, gnocchi, tortellini and other pasta products in tantalizing beet, chipotle, carrot and saffron varieties to name a few. All fillings are made from scratch in house such as sautéed mushrooms, grated cheeses and roasted butternut squash as are the pasta salads and sauces. Owner Chef Gary Thomas is also a Culinary Institute graduate and Dion's marketplace neighbor.
- Pierogi is Polish-based and resembles a large, doughy ravioli to be sautéed, fried, steamed or microwaved. At Pierogi Palace over 200 varieties are fully cooked and frozen with their signature braid edges. Favorites are sauerkraut with mushrooms or cheese. Spicy ones are black bean and unusual combinations are peaches and cream filled. Vegan are the newcomers. Cost is 75 cents for singles; $4.50 for a half dozen.
- Popcorn Shop makes all products on site and teamed up with Urban Herbs to formulate many toppings such as garlic parmesan and chili cheese. Dichotomy popcorn wins awards for its caramel corn and cheddar cheese coating. Owner Jeff Campbell's daughter formulated the chocolate for the peanut-butter-center Buckeye chocolates. Get there early for the chocolate-dipped pretzel rods. They sell out.
For quick eats, there's a crepe stand, pizza, hot dogs and fast food. A cafe restaurant is on site but that seems to defeat the purpose of discovering the West Side Market's ability to feed its visitors either on the run or shopping for the week. For more Cleveland information, contact Positively Cleveland.
Judith Glynn - I've written travel articles for years. See more and my novel about romance and travel at www.facebook.com/judglynn
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