After our short hike to the top of Starved Rock, we headed into the nearby town of Ottawa, Illinois. After learning that the museum we wanted to visit was closed on Tuesdays, we headed to our real destination, Bill Polancic’s Meats. Independent food emporiums like this are one of the great delights of our rambling lifestyle. This one definitely made us wish either for a larger freezer, or to live much closer. With a bit of guidance from the owner we chose some ready to heat and serve sliced roast beef, some house made knockwurst, a pork tenderloin, and a couple of ribeye steaks. As delightful as the opportunity to procure some fine food was our conversation with Jim whose father established the business in 1950. Jim’s grandparents who had emigrated from Yugoslavia had helped with the store. In time Jim’s father passed the business to his son who carries on a love for providing quality meats to the community. Back in camp we feasted on some of the sliced beef, popped the tenderloin and knockwurst into our tiny freezer, and are now looking forward to the opportunity to savor some ribeye steaks in the near future. Next time we travel through Illinois we need to make a stop in Ottawa for another dose of the joy that is Polancic’s.
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