Cleveland, OH
I learned two very important things on this road trip to Cleveland. 1) Always make sure you have the address of where you intend. 2) Make sure I communicate better to Side Dish Jody on where we are planning to go.
Getting “lost” is not always a bad thing though, as we were looking for a specific hot dog restaurant and instead came to this market. Strolling through West Side Market there were dozens of vendors that turned back the clock to what butcher shops were like only a few decades ago. For sale at the booths were homemade sausage, brats, and hot dogs made with the traditional beef or pork. What was non-traditional were the same products made out of lamb, turkey, reindeer, goat, and ox. Each booth had its own flare or overall theme to it. There was a Middle-Eastern booth, Indian cuisine (probably not beef at this booth) European meats, and local favorites as well.
Each counter had patrons plied up 2 or 3 deep with droves of traffic shuffling through the crowd on their way to the next booth.
Atmosphere- I wish I could have found a plaque, or monument that dictated how old this building was or what it might have been at one point. It was made out of brick and subway tile, and looked like it could have been a train depot, or a bus station at one point. Side Dish Jody pointed out that it could have just been a really old market and it was built for what it currently holds. Though we went looking for a hot dog to eat and review on the day, we walked away with the knowledge of a hot spot to get your own dogs or encased products at instead.
Value- Everything seemed very reasonable, and comparable to what you would find at your local grocer. If you come in search of this place, bring a large cooler and fill it with the fresh product that you will find inside.
