Picnic-Perfect with Fat Paulie’s

Who else is SO excited that patios are now allowed to be open? Seriously… it’s the little things during these times.

While I’m slowly preparing to venture out into the wild again, I have to admit that I’ve grown to really love finding ways to creatively enjoy take-out and still make it seem special. Now that the weather is nice and everyone’s kind of getting the hang of wearing masks in public, I feel like now is a great time to take advantage of all of the amazing outdoor spaces we have in Saratoga (or even at your own house!)

That’s exactly what Tim and I decided to do last weekend – have a picnic outside while supporting local and trying out a new (to us) deli, Fat Paulie’s.

Fat Paulie’s Delicatessen at 92 Congress Street in Saratoga is serving up deli classics like freshly-sliced house-roasted and imported deli meats, cheeses, and house-made mozzarella that will blow your mind.

Open 7 days a week, you can order for curbside pickup (at this time) as well as catering for any gatherings you might have coming up.

Aside from your traditional deli meats/cheeses, their sandwiches and heroes are really what caught my eye. Not only do they offer breakfast sandwiches ALL DAY (helloooo hangover cure!) but they have hot heroes, cold heroes, salads, and soups served daily with plenty of options to choose from.

Run by Owner Jason Feldman and new partner, Jo-Ann Lant, their philosophy is simple:

“Everything at the deli is made in-house using traditional methods and preparations including all prepared deli salads, stocks, sauces, and soups.

Fresh bread is delivered every single day from Anthony & Sons Italian Bakery downstate. Yesterday’s bread is used as breadcrumbs and croutons.

Fresh mozz is made every single day from local milk.

All meats are roasted in-house and imported salumi is meticulously sourced from all over Italy.

Sandwiches are made one-at-a-time with the meat sliced to order.

We try to work smart, but refuse to take shortcuts. We take care of our staff and our customers.”

Some of their specialty hot heroes include the Fat Paulie Special, with garlic and herb-rubbed roast beef, ladles of jus, and fresh mozz for a messy, yet satisfying lunch (or dinner).

Vegetarians need not worry, they have something for you too. Try the Fresh Mozz Hero, with fresh mozzarella on an Anthony and Sons hero roll with their house tomato jam, arugula, lemon zest, EVOO & of course some house pesto.

Ever eat something and after it hits your taste buds for the first time, you realize nothing else will compare? This house-made pesto did just that. I’ve had a lot of pesto over the years, and this one was life-changing.

SO buttery from the extra virgin olive oil, sweet from the basil, garlicky, and just perfect, you better believe I savored every single drop of that bad boy. You MUST get a side (or two) when you order from here!

And then there’s the fresh mozzarella. I’m just gonna say it – this is the best mozzarella I’ve had outside of Italy. It has just enough salt, it’s creamy but still somewhat firm. It’s just excellent. The best news is they make it right there and have it all the time. 

Whether you want to get yourself some groceries and deli meat or grab some sandwiches to bring on the boat or for a picnic in the park, look no further than Fat Paulie’s. This group of people really care about their products, and it truly shows when you take your first bite.