Cleveland West Side Market
 

Hi there, Clevelanders (Clevelandites? Clevelandians?)

We're meeting some friends in Cleveland for a long weekend in July. Last time my SO and I were there, we passed by the market but it was late so it was closed and I'd love to go back in the daytime. We love our St. Lawrence Market here in Toronto. It's a very lively place, a great market and a fun place to have lunch on a Saturday. Is the Cleveland Market like that? And if so, what's the best day for a visit, Saturday or Sunday?
Thanks
gtg

I love the West Side Market but cannot compare it to your St. Lawrence Market, since I've not been there. From the pictures I looked at, it's very similar with maybe one exception. The produce, bakeries, and displays of meat look the same.

It looks like St. Lawrence has some small eateries with seating? That isn't the case with West Side. It does have some places you could pick up prepared food (some warm, but mostly not), but not places to sit. There are cafes nearby though, and I've picked up food to take over to a spot outside to eat as well.

http://westsidemarket.org/

I went to the West Side Market when I was in Cleveland back in 2011, so my advice is dated--things may have changed. I remember there was a bustle about it that I appreciated and some popular pastry stands. The feel is only slightly similar to the much larger Toronto's St. Lawrence market, although I appreciated both.

The one thing I remember being a bit disappointed by (that's different from the Jean Talon Market in Montreal or St. Lawrence in Toronto) was that each fruit stand I saw were selling name brand fruits and veggies, Driscoll raspberries, Dole pineapples. I was hoping the stands would be selling fruits and veggies from local Ohio farmers, as one can find lots of local Quebec-grown produce at the Jean Talon or Atwater Markets.

Daniel_Williams - agree about the fruit. We live in Florida, and see many things that are grown locally around us, yet we pay more for it here than up there. What irony.

But, there is a certain type of pepper that my Hungarian husband grew up with (he is from the Cleveland area), and those can be found there, in season.

5 minutes from the market is this Mexican restaurant we really enjoyed a few years ago

http://www.momocho.com/info.php

Oh, Elizabeth, we went to momocho last time we were there and loved it! I definitely want to go back with our friends and was thinking that could be part of the market day. We sat outside and ate pineapple guacamole and had dinner on the patio. There were fireflies! I'd never seen fireflies till then -- it was magical! (And the food was good too)

Thanks for the info about the market. I'm sure we can find someplace to eat whatever we buy. If I remember correctly (and I so rarely do these days), there was a park across the road. No?