Cleveland Essentials

Discover the places and activities that give the city its flavor

By Doug Trattner, FrontDoor.com | Published: 10/26/2008

Cleveland's West Side Market is a great place to get low prices on food from more than 100 vendors.

Food and Drink Essentials: Best Places to...

BUY GROCERIES

West Side Market
Corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Ave., 216-664-3387
Built in 1912, the West Side Market is one of the country's oldest continuously operated public markets. Locals do much of their weekly shopping here, lured by the staggering variety, cut-rate prices and personal relationships developed over decades. Tourists come here to grab a snack, gawk at the 45-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling, and inspect the wares of more than 100 food vendors.

BUY LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCTS

North Union Farmers Market
Numerous Locations
Cleveland is located in the Cuyahoga Valley, a bread basket every bit as fertile as the famed Hudson Valley. For delicious proof, head to any of North Union's numerous farmers markets, which are scattered like seeds across the county. Most of these alfresco bazaars run from late April through September and sell only locally grown products.

NOSH A BAGEL

Bialy's Bagels
2267 Warrensville Center Road, 216-371-1088
Memphis has its barbecue; Cleveland has the world's best bagels. Too bad they can only be found at this one tiny shop on the city's East Side. These Manhattan transplants set up shop more than 40 years ago, and they still shape, boil and bake their dough the old-fashioned way. On weekend mornings, lines snake out the door as folks file in for bags of warm plain, salt and mishmash (everything) bagels.

SPLURGE ON DINNER

Lola
2058 E. Fourth St., 216-621-5652
Fans of the Food Network have come to know Michael Symon as the Next Iron Chef, but Clevelanders have adored this culinary trendsetter for years. The chef has a knack for reinterpreting Midwestern classics as contemporary delights, as in the case of his beef cheek pierogies. If you don't immediately see Symon in the restaurant just listen for that familiar cackle to point the way.

SCORE A LATE-NIGHT BITE

Bar Cento
1948 W. 25th St., 216-344-9944
Serving food until the wee hours of the morning every single day of the year, Bar Cento offers night owls a schedule that's easy to remember. Unlike other late-night haunts that rightly fall into the greasy-spoon category, this Ohio City hot spot is one of the city's best restaurants. Hungry souls flock here for thin Neapolitan-style pizza, grilled hangar steak and wonderful (and wonderfully priced) carafes of house wine.

SIP A LATTE

Lucky's Cafe
777 Starkweather Ave., 216-622-7773
Many Tremont residents begin their day with a frothy mug of cappuccino at this cozy storefront coffeehouse. And for good reason. In addition to consistently great java, Lucky's offers comfortable seating, Wi-Fi and friendly service. But the real reason Lucky's is as popular as it is likely has less to do with coffee than it does pastry. Operated by one of Cleveland's finest pastry chefs, this cafe has delicious scones, cinnamon rolls, muffins and cookies.

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