West Side Market, Cleveland

I completely forgot that I had taken these pictures, and considering this is a slow week for me blog-wise (work-wise, it's insane, so apologies for the delay in posts!), I figured I'd post a little throwback. A quick return to my holiday trip to Cleveland, Ohio, John and I spent a drizzly weekday morning strolling about the historic Ohio City Market Square. There, we found the longest running and the oldest publicly owned market: West Side Market.

Now a Cleveland landmark, the market is housed inside a famous brick building built by architects Benjamin Hubbel and W. Dominick Benes, and it features over 100 vendors every week, all from different backgrounds with various foods to sell. We went on a Monday morning (a work day), and it was full of bustling people shouting, carting away meats, breads, pastries, and vegetables. Me, I ventured in with just my camera.






Slipping through the entrance, it felt like we were dipping down into the depths of the city, the massive space framed with subway tiles, old brick floors, and dimly lit windows high-high up near the ceiling.

The first area we saw was the meat. I was shocked by the variety and just how fresh the ingredients were. Some of the displays actually caught me off-guard (pigs feet and ham hocks!), but for true chefs and foodies, this is probably what heaven looks like.









We all know how partial I am to jalapenos, so I felt my mouth salivating the moment I saw the bacon-wrapped poppers skewered endlessly in front of me.

My kryptonite, though, is fresh baked bread. Particularly of the sourdough variety. And the enter center section of the market was jam-packed with vendors selling their freshly based loaves, most that were as big as my torso!










I mean, can you even? You'll never find me giving up gluten!

Then, the busiest area of the market was certainly the dessert goods. Many people were like me, however... smelling and staring from a distance, resisting temptation. Cannolis of every variety were lined up, irresistibly, and every pastry counter was like a kaleidoscope of color and chocolatey sweetness.

If I lived near the Westside Market, you'd better believe I'd be there every week to get all my bread, meats, and produce (which is actually sold in a different building right next to this one). John and I decided to sneak to the back, where there is a made-to-order falafel place that makes that entire section smell ridiculously good. We wandered around a bit more, trying to find a place to sit (there isn't any), and found ourselves in the dangerously narrow upstairs walkway, where shoppers were gathered, snacking, chatting, and of course... snapping pictures of the market below.

xx



(all pictures property of Through the Reels)