I too, took a little holiday break from confessing...
Patak Meats: A Little Piece of Europe in the Middle of Nowhere
As some of you may know, I have been more than determined to find European pro
ducts ever since I started traveling to Europe in my teens. In fact, I have been ueberambitious. I could make a laundry list of imports I have already found as well as items I have yet to discover. I just cannot get enough of the local foods, delicacies, packaged products, recipes and the traditions that I have experienced in my travels so far. I am still looking out for Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante Pizza to hit the southern United States, and I will pay $12 for German honey. Yes, I am that bad.
My father works with many Europeans and mentioned to me about this butcher shop called Patak Meats which is about 20 minutes away from my current residence. He mentioned to me that Patak Meats is a genuine European butcher shop, but I was slightly reluctant to believe it at first. I was once again terribly mistaken. Located around the corner from the Dogwood Golf Club in Austell, Georgia, this Fleischeri (I feel this is slightly more appropriate) has and continues to attract many European ex-pats from all over the metro area and beyond.
I could not help but notice the long line we were about to wait in as we pulled up to the parking lot. Apparently, Patak Meats is only open one Saturday a month on a regular schedule so there were many Monday through Friday workers on the scene. In any case, I instantly got more excited to see why these people are waiting so long.
It was well worth it. Not only does this Fleischerei sell a wide variety of European meats, it also supplies many western European packaged goods, some of which I have not seen in six years. The owner must have many close friends across the pond. Everything from your average Bratwurst to Bangers to Kielbasa, they make it. I got even more excited when I saw Weisswurst, something that was offered to me when I visited a close friend of mine in Munich as well as Kasseler Rib. Unfortunately, I am mostly mentioning German meats, but they truly have an extensive library of Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, and Swiss meats. They even have Head Cheese, Bloodwurst, Pate, and Truffles.
What is even better is that the prices for all of these delicacies including the packaged imports are cheaper than your corporate grocery stores. Unlike New York, there are very few authentic “delis” in the Atlanta area, so this meat haven has very little competition. Even if it did, the genuine quality and their charming customer service would outdo any other Atlanta location.
I could go forever about how I saw more things like Stollen, the real Italian Panettone, chocolate liqueurs, Alpine honey, herring, European juices and of course, Kinder Eggs amongst other things but this little shop in almost in the middle of nowhere in Georgia practically astonished me.
But the real question is, how does everything taste? We definitely purchased more than we could eat in a week, but we only tried the Weisswurst, Prague Ham and Czech Salami so far. Overall, all meats tasted like they were produced with extreme care and the flavors are so flagrant that you can smell them from a good distance away. We properly cooked the Weisswurst before noon, the Prague Ham was not too fatty, and the Czech salami tasted juicy and not too salty. I cannot wait to get my hands on the Bratwurst, but we are saving those for a special occasion.
If you love meat, a little homesick for some fresh European food, or you live in or around the “Empire of the South”, than I strongly suggest you make your way over to this little piece of Europe in the middle of nowhere. Depending on the day you visit, it is well worth that line.
Pictures will come soon, trust me.
Patak Meats
4107 Ewing Road
Austell, GA 30106
770.941.7993
www.patakmeats.com
Patak Meats: A Little Piece of Europe in the Middle of Nowhere
As some of you may know, I have been more than determined to find European pro
ducts ever since I started traveling to Europe in my teens. In fact, I have been ueberambitious. I could make a laundry list of imports I have already found as well as items I have yet to discover. I just cannot get enough of the local foods, delicacies, packaged products, recipes and the traditions that I have experienced in my travels so far. I am still looking out for Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante Pizza to hit the southern United States, and I will pay $12 for German honey. Yes, I am that bad. My father works with many Europeans and mentioned to me about this butcher shop called Patak Meats which is about 20 minutes away from my current residence. He mentioned to me that Patak Meats is a genuine European butcher shop, but I was slightly reluctant to believe it at first. I was once again terribly mistaken. Located around the corner from the Dogwood Golf Club in Austell, Georgia, this Fleischeri (I feel this is slightly more appropriate) has and continues to attract many European ex-pats from all over the metro area and beyond.
I could not help but notice the long line we were about to wait in as we pulled up to the parking lot. Apparently, Patak Meats is only open one Saturday a month on a regular schedule so there were many Monday through Friday workers on the scene. In any case, I instantly got more excited to see why these people are waiting so long.
It was well worth it. Not only does this Fleischerei sell a wide variety of European meats, it also supplies many western European packaged goods, some of which I have not seen in six years. The owner must have many close friends across the pond. Everything from your average Bratwurst to Bangers to Kielbasa, they make it. I got even more excited when I saw Weisswurst, something that was offered to me when I visited a close friend of mine in Munich as well as Kasseler Rib. Unfortunately, I am mostly mentioning German meats, but they truly have an extensive library of Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, and Swiss meats. They even have Head Cheese, Bloodwurst, Pate, and Truffles.
What is even better is that the prices for all of these delicacies including the packaged imports are cheaper than your corporate grocery stores. Unlike New York, there are very few authentic “delis” in the Atlanta area, so this meat haven has very little competition. Even if it did, the genuine quality and their charming customer service would outdo any other Atlanta location.
I could go forever about how I saw more things like Stollen, the real Italian Panettone, chocolate liqueurs, Alpine honey, herring, European juices and of course, Kinder Eggs amongst other things but this little shop in almost in the middle of nowhere in Georgia practically astonished me.
But the real question is, how does everything taste? We definitely purchased more than we could eat in a week, but we only tried the Weisswurst, Prague Ham and Czech Salami so far. Overall, all meats tasted like they were produced with extreme care and the flavors are so flagrant that you can smell them from a good distance away. We properly cooked the Weisswurst before noon, the Prague Ham was not too fatty, and the Czech salami tasted juicy and not too salty. I cannot wait to get my hands on the Bratwurst, but we are saving those for a special occasion.
If you love meat, a little homesick for some fresh European food, or you live in or around the “Empire of the South”, than I strongly suggest you make your way over to this little piece of Europe in the middle of nowhere. Depending on the day you visit, it is well worth that line.
Pictures will come soon, trust me.
Patak Meats
4107 Ewing Road
Austell, GA 30106
770.941.7993
www.patakmeats.com