i have gone to the west side market since i was a wee lad and remember sitting on my father’s shoulders and going through the place and being amazed by it all. he’d always buy a cup of buttermilk and put some pepper on it— when i was a kid, this seemed like a terrible idea. the canister by that stand is still there, probably about 28 years at this point, and i remember it was as big as i was. this is no longer the case.

the west side market consists of dozens of vendors who sell everything from fruits and vegies to baked goods, (check out the pistachio cake at the stand aptly named CAKE) to every variety of sausage you can imagine to spices and teas. it is one of my favorite places in cleveland. open monday, wednesday, friday, and saturday. saturday is the busiest and most interesting time to visit. all kinds of people.

one of my favorite places is up the stairs off of w. 25th where you can sit and overlook the market… oh, and what a beautiful ceiling.