West Side Market 
 Cleveland, Ohio        Date of Visit  09/03/10            http://www.westsidemarket.org/

Knowing we were going to Slyman’s for lunch we knew it was time to visit Cleveland’s thriving West Side foodie megalopolis The West Side Market. Once you find the parking lot and a spot it’s time to step back into an olde world market feel prior to the days of mega marts. The outer ring of the market is composed of produce vendors hawking beautiful fruits and veggies including things they don’t have at most local grocery stores. Tiny little bananas, multiple types of dates, and some produce I had never seen outside of pictures. Fascinating. After passing the vendors calling down from behind their stands about fruits “sweet as candy” and “bag for a buck” you enter the sanctum of meat, sweet, and delicious.

Produce Market (a Tiny Part of...)
 

Now, it probably wasn’t the wisest time to go, having just finished half a staggering sandwich for lunch, I would likely have tried a gyro at Steve's or a brat at Frank's, but that just wasn’t going to happen. Next time we will defiantly make the market our solo stop, it warrants several stops, but I would like to try some of the hot offerings on our next journey. The following pictures are the things we brought home to share. Three cupcakes with uber-sweet icing (a little too much for me) and really good cake beneath from Grandma Freda’s Fresh Bake. Beef jerky that was featured on the food network which really is thick and reduces the mandibular fatigue along with a truly fabulous chicken jerky that is smoky and has a nice little bite on the back end from Czuchraj Meats. A pistachio cannoli in which the cheese filling was completely infused with green nutty goodness and a slice of every bit as good Pistachio cake and a passable chocolate crème brulee cake from Cake Royale. I found a bright and intensely flavored basil, herb and cheese bread from I believe Michelle’s Bakery and dried veggies from the produce vendors outside. If you haven’t been it’s worth a trip, just don’t let the whole carcasses or goat heads at the butchers stands throw you too much. Even the stuff at the grocery store that comes in plastic started off like that. Bring and keep your appetite. Enjoy the Pix.

Now I Didn't See One of Those at Walmart
 

Choc Crème Brule Cake Could Have Been Better
 

Eenie Meenie Mynee Mo