Homemade Sausages on Parmenter Street

When people talk about the North End, they often mention Hanover Street with its many restaurants, boutiques and cafes.

Off Hanover, there’s Parmenter. In its own quiet way, this street has several shops such as Alba Produce and Polcari’s Coffee that borders with Salem Street. The North End Library is located there as well.

When you reach 32A Parmenter, there’s a sign for Sulmona Meat Market. And when you walk in the door, that’s precisely what you’ll find.

The market

Every day that the shop is open, people from the neighborhood are inside either buying meat or talking with Dominic Susi and his son, Franco Susi.

“My father is retired now but comes in every once in a while to hang out,” said Franco.

“My grandfather, Silvio Susi, opened this shop in 1960,” he said. “I took over on January 1, 2012, and now run it by myself.

 “We sell all cuts of meat – lamb, beef, chicken, pork and veal,” Franco said. “Everything is cut to order.”

Franco and his staff make sausages every day.

On Franco’s business card, he lists that the market sells “prime choice beef, veal, lamb, pork & poultry specializing in Italian sausages.”

Sulmona Meat Market is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and closed on Sunday and Monday.

“We won nine ‘Best of Boston Awards’ for ‘Best Butcher Shop’ in Boston Magazine during the 1980s and 1990s,” Franco said.

Treating the customers

“When someone comes in, they tell me what they want and I help them through the process,” Franco said. “People used to come in and know what they wanted because they wanted everything cut in front of them.”

He explained that the clientele at the market has changed over the years.

“We used to have Italian families who lived down here and shopped every day,” Franco said. “Now, they’ve moved or passed away and now we have single professionals and students.”

When Patch visited, the market was festive and alive with people who were speaking to Dominic and Franco in Italian and English.

So there’s something for everyone – whether it’s a tourist, long-time resident, student or single professional – at Sulmona Meat Market.

For additional information on the meat, call 617-742-2791.

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