A crispy fish fry to enjoy at home or on the go, made fresh every day at Miles Farmers Market

By Laura Briedis

While some stores are scrambling to keep their shelves stocked, Miles Farmers Market is fully stocked—just in time for Easter and Passover celebrations.

And there are so many choices, like a dozen different egg varieties from local farmers; homemade breads including Hot Cross Buns and Paska; spiral-cut ham or fire-glazed ham, kielbasa, lamb and beef; and dozens of desserts from pies to spring-decorated cupcakes and cookies.

“We have long-standing relationships with our vendors. Some have been with us since we opened 51 years ago, so we have not experienced the same shortages as other grocery stores,” says Justin Golobek, Miles Farmers Market store manager. “We are also blessed to have not only a full staff working, but the most knowledgeable and friendly employees around. If you need help with recipes or any cooking or baking tips, we are here to help.”

One of its longtime vendors is a local egg farm. For more than 40 years, the store’s Miles Very Own Jumbo Eggs have come from the same local egg farm, plus a dozen other varieties, including brown, organic and free-range. Plus, the store also sells Alex’s Farm Fresh Eggs, which are delivered to Miles within days of being picked from the coop in Newbury.

In addition to local farms, Miles also partners with various meat suppliers.

“Our hams are the highest quality in town,” says Justin. “Our Miles traditional spiral cut ham comes with a glaze packet if you want to add a bit of sweetness. We also have a fire-glazed ham, onto which the brown sugar and honey glaze is torched so it is crispy and crunchy.”

Though ham is a traditional Easter meal, Miles Farmers Market also sells a lot of beef, kielbasa and lamb during the holidays.

And if you don’t feel like cooking, there are plenty of ready-to-eat meals in the market’s Bistro. You will find everything you need to simply heat and serve for your family meal, including side dishes.

As your one-stop shopping market, you will also find fragrant lilies, tulips, daffodils and hand-dipped chocolates throughout the store.

Fish Fry Season!
A telltale sign of spring in Northeast Ohio is the start of fish fry season—and the hunt to find the best in town. During Lent, which runs through Thursday, April 14, many families abstain from eating meat on Fridays and make an event out of sampling different fish fry dinners around town.

In addition to local restaurants and church halls, the Bistro at Miles Farmers Market cooks up a tasty fish fry that rivals any restaurant or pub.

“We make our own hand-cut and hand-battered cod, as well as fried shrimp every day during Lent—not just on Fridays,” says Justin Golobek, store manager. “We have a fish fry station set up in our Bistro where we fry fish fresh all day and also have fish fry meals ready in our cases so customers can just grab and go.”

The fish fry is served with fries and Miles’ own coleslaw, along with a new homemade tartar sauce.

“After 20 years of making different batters, we have perfected our fish fry batter. It is light and crispy, and it stays crispy in our to-go containers, says Frankie Cangemi Jr., who, along with his father, Frank, owns Miles Farmers Market.

In addition to the fish fry, the store is stocked with fresh seafood every day, including the best-selling Faroe Island Salmon, Great Lakes Walleye and Alaskan Cod, as well as meatless options perfect for the Lenten season, such as veggie lasagna, in its heat-and-eat food cases.

Miles Farmers Market is located at 28560 Miles Road, in Solon. Visit MilesFarmersMarket.com or call 440-248-5222 for more information.