Folks — it’s grillin’ season in metro Detroit, which means one can almost hear the sound of Italian sausage sizzlin’ in the background. For the most part, Italian sausages are one of those dishes people purchase at the meat counter at Whole Foods or Kroger, or prepackaged. The broad public view seems to be that Italian sausages are created more or less equal, and there’s not a ton of range in quality. It’s the same view people have of hot dogs.

But it’s flawed thinking. A whole nother echelon of Italian sausage exists, and perhaps the best of them can only be found on a grill on Saturdays at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. There aren’t a ton on hand, and when they’re gone, you missed your opportunity til the next week.