Polish Gem in Pawtucket - Polonia Market

It might not look like much from the outside, and you would probably drive right by because the street is busy, but if you are in the mood for fantastic and authentic Polish food, you need to pull into the parking lot and check out Polonia Market at 736 Broadway, Pawtucket, RI.

I love stumbling into these types of markets because you never know what you are going to find, and because you can't really read the labels, it is a total voyage of discovery.

On this particular trip, once I entered the jam-packed store, I was immediately transported to another world of pickled vegetables, jams of different types of berries and fruits, grains you don't see everywhere, and of course, the sausages! On my first visit, I didn't even make it to the refrigerated section, so I can't wait to go back for a visit.

As I started to explore, I realized I may be able to find a special type of barley you can find in Germany. In their grocery stores, they don't just have pearl barley, but they have all different sizes. The small size is perfect to add to soups because it adds a wonderful texture, without overtaking the soup as pearl barley can.

To my delight, they had it in multiple brands and sizes. They also had different sizes of other grains. I was intrigued and cannot wait to explore recipes to use them.

I got a box to experiment with when I make my next Beef Barley Soup (I bought Oxtail on sale and have it ready and waiting in the freezer for this soup).

Then I wandered to the sausage counter. The store is small, so there isn't a lot of room to move around. I wasn't sure what to order, but then I saw Kielbasa on the menu. I asked for a pound, and was told there were several different kinds, and I was asked how I was going to cook it because some are highly smoked and drier than others. I said I was going to grill it, and a type was recommended.

You don't buy kielbasa by the pound here. You buy it by the full link or the half link. I bought a half link, which would feed about 4 people. I also bought some fresh Polish Rye bread.

Dinner that night was grilled kielbasa, boiled green beans, and potatoes with butter and chives. It was wonderful! The kielbasa was nicely spiced and full of garlic. When I say spiced, I don't mean spicy, but instead had sausage spices. There was another version with less spice, so if you don't like that much garlic, you might want to try that. I, however, would highly recommend the type I got,

which was called Podwawelska Kielbasa.

Polonia Market doesn't have a website or even an official Facebook Page, so you will have to go and give it a try yourself. I hope you enjoy the rustic charm as much as I did.