Old butchers with white jackets and hats, the smell of smoking sausage, a small but comprehensive selection of quality groceries and a lot of meat.
I have been meaning to visit Paulina’s Meat Market for ages and finally just found my way there for the first time. Within minutes of entering the aromatic meat emporium, Mini Whipped was offered a piece of fresh cut balony. From the depths of my brain arose an old, dusty memory….standing on my tippy-toes, reaching up to receive a hotdog or fresh cut of baloney from the old butcher shop my mother used to frequent. We would lightly fold the baloney to bite out eyes, nose and mouth making a happy meat face. Baloney for the kids? Old school and I like it.
The friendly older gentlemen at Paulina’s charmed my daughter and me while we bought some natural peanut buter and Lucini olive oil from the grocer and chose select meats. I suppose the pepperoni was the give-away but when I got home and found my new friend had wrapped all my selections together and labeled them “pizza meats,” my loyalty to Paulina’s was sealed. The Canadian bacon and pepperoni had been heading for my pizza and though the hickory smoked bacon was planned for breakfast, I took inspiration from my white paper wrap and threw it on the pizza too. (meat lover’s pizza recipe to come!)
Even if you aren’t in the neighborhood, Paulina’s Meat Market is worth a visit.
Paulina’s Meat Market
3501 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
March 30th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Times like these I wished I lived in the windy city! :)
March 30th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
I love traditional family-run meat markets; the quality and charm is really fantastic
March 31st, 2010 at 8:41 am
Paulina’s is one of my favorite places in Chicago! The butchers are very charming, I think that’s what makes it so special.
March 31st, 2010 at 11:58 am
love PMM! i don’t go nearly enough, but every time i do i am in love :)
March 31st, 2010 at 12:43 pm
I want a dress the color of that pepperoni. Color me convinced- planning a field trip northward.
March 31st, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Any package labeled “pizza meats” is a-ok by me!
March 31st, 2010 at 7:24 pm
That sounds so wonderful. I don’t suppose anyone knows of a place like that in Tucson, AZ?
April 1st, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Oh! i can’t believe we haven’t field tripped here before! The pepperoni is my favorite favorite thing there. Dang, I just love that place. Did they slice up that pepperoni for you? I usually just buy a stick and munch on it on my way home. Terribly ladylike.
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:28 pm
[...] Chicago – Paulina's Meat Market [...]
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:14 am
lived right around the corner from this place and loved it! and my most favorite place in all chicago (back living in nyc) – FERNANDOS is diagonal from Paulina Meat Market…
April 8th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
[...] Chicago – Paulina's Meat Market [...]
April 16th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
[...] few of my previous posts have been anticipatory lead ups to this one. After my trip to Paulina Meat Market to secure top quality pizza meats and since I have settled on what I consider the best thin crust [...]
April 18th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
lived right around the corner from this place and loved it! and my most favorite place in all chicago (back living in nyc) – FERNANDOS is diagonal from Paulina Meat Market…
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:52 am
[...] Chicago – Paulina's Meat Market [...]
May 13th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
[...] Chicago – Paulina's Meat Market [...]
May 24th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
[...] Chicago – Paulina’s Meat Market [...]
March 16th, 2011 at 4:04 am
Yeap, guess PMM is the best market in the work! Every piece of meat I find it there!