The West Side Market (1979 W. 25th St., 216/664-3387, www.westsidemarket.com , Mon. and Wed. 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–6 p.m.) is a big, bustling bazaar, with more than 100 food stands. Here’s a taste of what’s inside.
Diet-shattering baked goods are around every turn. For artisan-style European bread, hit Mediterra Bakehouse. If your tooth leans more sweet than savory, wander over to Cake Royale, where the luscious pastries are made from scratch.
Ohio City Pasta supplies dozens of upscale restaurants with fresh pasta, ravioli, and gnocchi. At the ever-popular Pierogi Palace, dozens of varieties of stuffed Polish dumplings are sold frozen to go.
Adventurous home cooks shop at Urban Herbs and Narrin’s Spice to track down hard-to-find herbs, spices, grains, and chiles. Narrin’s also stocks a wide assortment of hot sauces.
Tucked into the corner of the market, Mediterranean Imported Foods is a jam-packed Italian grocery offering high-quality cheeses, olives, salamis, dried fruit, and nuts. To purchase Old World Hungarian-style meats, like double-smoked bacon, rice sausage, and cottage ham, stroll over to Dohar Meats.
For a quick and tasty meal, try Maha’s Falafel for fresh-fried falafel or Kim Se for prepared Thai and Cambodian dishes. Visit Orale for the city’s best chips and salsa, empanadas, and corn husk–wrapped tamales.
Fans of retro candy flock to Candy Corner for old-timey sweets like Dots, Flying Saucers, and Sugar Daddys. Over at Campbell’s Popcorn, the sugary offerings include cotton candy, chocolate-covered pretzels, and amazing cheesy popcorn.
