West Side Market Cafe

Tucked into the side of the epic brick building housing West Side Market, this small cafe has a hole-in-the-wall feel but serves up stand-out food. The decor offers a pleasing contrast to the market's soaring domed ceiling and wide-open floor. Here, red brick floors, white-tiled walls, splashes of red paint and warm wood make the cafe feel inviting, and the framed black-and-white photos of the market from Way Back When that decorate the walls are both attractive and interesting. The cumulative effect is old-school in away that feels authentic.

The breakfast menu lists the classics prepared with high-quality ingredients and infused with modern touches. The WSM Omelet ($8) arrives open-faced, a round disk of egg, crispy shallot and leafy spinach liberally sprinkled with cheese. A breakfast hash ($7.50) combines pork and beef smokies with potatoes and a mustard sauce. And sausage gravy tops rosemary toast rather than biscuits ($8). But that doesn’t mean that everything is modern: The buttermilk pancakes ($6) are exactly what you'd expect—plate-size and fluffy. And the coffee? Strong, served with real cream.