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