Unless you’re a devoted regular at Miles Farmers Market, you’ve never eaten like this before

200303 Miles Frmrs Mkt 7422
Grocery store chains can’t touch Miles Farmers Market’s ability to offer the freshest fruits and vegetables, breads, meats and more. (Photography: Benjamin Margalit)

By Laura Briedis

A favorite neighborhood grocer for those lucky enough to live in the Chagrin Falls/Solon area, Miles Farmers Market has become a destination for people all over Northeast Ohio for the past half century.

I make the 45-minute trek from Avon across town every month to shop at this market filled with exceptional food and unique finds all under one roof. What I love most is that I am supporting local farmers and foragers—and I am not alone.

“We have regular customers who come here from Ashtabula to Akron,” says Frank Cangemi, owner of Miles Farmers Market.

“A lot of restaurant and personal chefs shop here for our fresh and unique selection of produce, such as Swiss chard, rapini, exotic peppers, Cara Cara oranges and pummelos, as well as our locally sourced meats and collection of fine oils and vinegars.”

The reason so many people make a special trip to this market? It’s as fresh as it gets. Farmers deliver freshly picked fruits and vegetables so fresh they are still warm from the fields. Artisan bread is baked in the early morning hours and put on the shelves when it is cool enough to bag. Even kitchen staples like jams and jellies are made fresh by hand the old-fashioned way, by stirring for hours over a stove prior to canning.

In the butcher shop, you will find Ohio-raised pork, all-natural chicken from nearby Amish Country and Certified Angus Beef from America’s heartland.

A Staple in Town
Opened in 1971 as a seasonal open-air market selling renowned Ohio-grown sweet corn and fresh-cut Christmas trees, Miles Farmers Market has expanded to offer thousands of different items.

“We carry the most extensive selection of produce anywhere in the city,” says Frankie, the second generation Cangemi who helps run the family business. “A lot of the produce is picked in the morning and is on our shelves the same day. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.”

The market has a 36-foot wet rack overflowing with the freshest leafy vegetables, roots, lettuces and more. Throughout the season there are 75 varieties of plums, 60 varieties of apples and 40 citrus sizes and types, just to name a few.

“We carry as many local vegetables and fruits as possible,” says store manager Justin Golobek. “We love working with local farmers to help the local economy. Plus, it allows us to provide better prices for our customers because we have lower transportation costs, and we also have a smaller carbon footprint.”

Easter and Passover Meals
Miles Farmers Market is your holiday headquarters. You will find everything you need to prepare your favorite family meal. If you don’t feel like cooking, there are plenty of ready-to-eat homemade meals in the market.

During Easter and Passover, you’ll find delectable desserts in the bakery including fresh-baked Paska bread, hot cross buns, macaroons, honey cake and more.

“Our hams are the best in town,” boasts 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, in which the brown sugar and honey glaze is torched onto the ham so it is crispy and crunchy.”

You will also find fresh-baked Paska bread, hot cross buns, macaroons, honey cake, homemade kielbasa and pierogi in the store for Easter and Passover, along with Miles Very Own Jumbo Eggs. For more than 40 years, the store’s jumbo eggs have come from the same local egg farm, and they have a dozen varieties, including brown and organic.

At the Bistro during Lent, the fish and shrimp fry are customer favorites. “Every Friday, we cook battered cod and shrimp, served along with Brew City fries and coleslaw,” says Frankie. “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.”

As your one-stop shopping market, you will also find fragrant lilies, popcorn Easter bunnies and chocolates scattered throughout the store.

A Telltale Sign of Spring
As soon as the first crocuses peek through the snow-covered landscape, it signals that fruits and vegetables are also taking root and getting ready to start sprouting.

Miles Farmers Market is gaining a reputation for its selection of organic and exotic fruits and vegetables. A few of the exotic fruits pictured above include kumquats, star fruit, “ugly” fruit, Asian pears, passion fruit and two kinds of dragon fruit, from the cactus family.

“The first produce to come up in the spring are those that grow wild, such as fiddlehead ferns, garlic scapes and ramps,” notes Justin Golobek, store manager at Miles Farmers Market. “These are the first locally picked produce you’ll find in our market in the spring.”

Miles Farmers Market features local farmers’ crops, spring through fall, so shoppers get the freshest, most flavorful fruit and vegetables. Here’s what’s in season (though it may vary depending on the weather):

SPRING

  • Asparagus
  • Rhubarb
  • Spinach
  • Pansy Baskets


LATE SPRING

  • Strawberries
  • Collards
  • Peas
  • Cabbage


EARLY SUMMER

  • Broccoli
  • Squash
  • Beets
  • Cherries
  • Blueberries
  • Herbs

Miles Farmers Market is located at 28560 Miles Road, in Solon. Visit MilesFarmersMarket.com for store details.

Categories: Eastside Food & Dining