Ohio Day Trip- West Side MarketCleveland, Ohio
March 20, 2010
Cleveland, Ohio offers something for everyone- a large theatre district, world-class museums, a fantastic zoo and, of course, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But if you are looking for an experience which is uniquely Cleveland, a visit to the West Side Market is a must!
The West Side Market has been in Cleveland since 1840. The building it now resides in was built in 1912 and it is quite impressive. Built of yellow brick, the inside features a vast arched ceiling and the outside displays a clock tower. Located at the corner of Lorain and West 25th Street, it is nestled in hip Ohio City where there are plenty of restaurants, galleries and shops to create an all-day shopping experience.
My friend Amy and I decided to meet up at 8:30am on a Saturday morning at the Market for a little shopping. When we arrived the Market was already bustling with activity. We entered through the produce area built around the perimeter of the main building but made our way to the main concourse to start shopping. The seafood, meat, cheese, bread and other non-produce stands are housed in the main building, along with a cafe, a creperie, a chocolate shop and a Mediterranean market. After picking up some coffee and hot cocoa, Amy and I went from stand to stand looking for the ingredients we had listed on our menu plans and made a few impulse buys along the way. I was shopping for an assortment of mushrooms to make a pasta dish and some soup but I ended up getting a couple cheddar & chive chicken sausages as well as some sour dough bread bowls to ladle the soup into.
Next we headed out to the produce area. Many of the venders recognized Amy and greeted her warmly as she chose a variety fresh veggies. After I picked up an assortment of wild mushrooms that included cremini, shitake and some beautiful oyster mushrooms, we did a little more browsing of a stand that sells several different kinds of homemade jam as well as their own honey and then made our way to the parking lot.
A visit to the West Side Market is a great way to experience Cleveland and its locals. The shopping cannot be better for a foodie with stands featuring rare cheeses, escargot, fine chocolates and choice meats. But, it is a great place to just sit with a cup of coffee and a fresh pastry to people-watch or meet up with a friend to catch up while getting a little grocery shopping out of the way. The West Side Market is a unique Cleveland experience for all ages.
