Gourmet Market...

On one of our trips in 2010 to visit our family in Northern Ohio, we stopped at the West Point Market in Akron. I'd stumbled across this store while just cruising the Internet.

West Point Market is a 25,000 sq. ft. gourmet food store that is celebrating it's 75th Anniversary!

In addition to the retail store, West Point Market also provides catering services and it operates a sizable mail order business. The market is at 1711 West Market Street in Akron Ohio. The website is: http://www.westpointmarket.com/. Phone: 330-864-2151.

There are several very upscale specialty departments within the market. The wine section is certainly one of the outstanding examples... There are over 3,500 different labels in this section of the store! Other departments not pictured in this Blog include high quality produce, a gift shop plus gift and floral baskets.

In one corner of the store, we found the 'Beside the Point Cafe'. We didn't eat there...too early in the day...but the cafe features made from scratch soup, salads and sandwiches. Everything is made using the quality products sold elsewhere in the store.

The West Point Market's website features the "What's-In-Store" Newsletter. This publication outlines what's going on in the store along with featured products. In January 2011, the big event was a 'Red Wine Tasting' that was held in the Cheese Shop.

Having lived in Chicago for so many years, we are devotees of great bread and other baked goods. That need was definitely fulfilled by the market's baked from scratch breads, muffins, scones and other sweets. Just the good smells were a treat! Speaking of sweets, the market also has a large chocolate shop...and lots of other candy too!

We were on our way back down to East Tennessee and we didn't have our cooler with us. Too bad, as the butcher shop featured terrific looking meat of all varieties and cuts. They only carry USDA True Prime and Upper Choice cuts. The store also has an extensive seafood counter. Nearby, there is a big deli section as well as a large selection of ready-to-cook entrees. One item available is 'Porketta', a seasoned skin-on pork belly, rolled and tied around a pork loin, and then roasted.

This was our favorite department! The Cheese Shop at the market features almost 400 cheeses and they encourage tasting. This shop also has sausages, salami, pates, mousse, truffles and foie gras. The biggest challenge for us was trying to decide what to buy that we could carry home! Actually, that was a problem throughout the store... The specialty foods alone include over 12,000 products and ingredients! This is a great stop for any road trip... The West Point Market isn't far off I-77 on the west side of Akron.