WEST SIDE MARKET

Cleveland isn't exactly L.A. or New York City, Phoenix or Miami. Manufacturing is gone, the Cavs stink, & winter is too long here for my tastes, but if you look hard enough, there are some charms about the place. There is a sense that people who stay here are trying their best to make a go of it, and that I like.

So it was on a news show I saw a report about this food market in the shadows of downtown Cleveland. We piled into the van this morning and headed out on a 60 mile trip from our house, in less than ideal weather. But it was worth it.

The last market I've been to like this was the Seattle Fish Market in...Seattle. Since we didn't get an early start, the crowds were a bit much, but even that added to the buzz of the place.

Oh the delicacies, meats, cheeses, fresh baked bread, peanuts, coffees, cupcakes, cookies, apple fritters...

...bananas, peppers, banana peppers, grapes, strawberries, mangoes...

...a variety of popcorn, olive oils, pastas, and candies.

Oh, and the booth selling all things Asian had this bottle of carbonated Peach soda with a lid I could not get open. In fact, we just brought it home where I pulled out the pliers and still could not get the cap off. I then noticed the marble on the top must have something to do with this perplexing packaging. Come to find out, you push the marble down through the blue part, and it rest in a cradle while the soda pours out.

Dawn said the bakery items were the best part, which explains why we brought home a bunch of goodies, including Red Velvet, Mocha and Chai muffins.