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Monday, March 18, 2024

Paleos restaurant: healthy dining, dollars for moms and babies

John and Elizabeth Pavlick, owners of recently-opened Paleos restaurant in Lino Lakes, have decided to give 10 percent of their December revenue to the Life Fund of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. They are shown with one of their top menu items, the guacamole burger. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
John and Elizabeth Pavlick, owners of recently-opened Paleos restaurant in Lino Lakes, have decided to give 10 percent of their December revenue to the Life Fund of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. They are shown with one of their top menu items, the guacamole burger. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Looking for a place that serves good hamburgers? Or steaks? Or seafood? And, also allows you to make a difference in the lives of babies and mothers while you’re dining?

These seemingly incongruent acts converge nicely at a new restaurant in Lino Lakes owned by a Catholic couple, John and Elizabeth Pavlick of St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake.

They opened their restaurant, Paleos, on Oct. 7 and were looking for a way to both offer meaningful help to the less fortunate and to express their pro-life views.

A series of phone calls and conversations led them to Nancy Schulte Palacheck of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. She told them about the Life Fund, an archdiocese-wide collection that helps women and infants. Money and baby items are given to pregnant women and women who have just delivered babies.

“We wanted to do something to give back,” said John, 49. “We landed on the Life Fund, which is to help pregnant women and women who just had a baby. One hundred percent of the [fund’s] proceeds go directly to the women. We thought that was a good way to go.”

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The Pavlicks have decided that 10 percent of all their restaurant revenue — food, liquor and gift cards — during the month of December will go to the Life Fund. They hope their contribution will add up to several thousand dollars.

“We just feel strongly about the babies,” said Elizabeth, 48. “And, we were just trying to think what to do for Christmas. [John] ran it by me, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, cool. Let’s do it.’”

In addition to helping women and their babies, Paleos customers also will be able to give their own bodies a boost, in the form of gluten-free, healthy fare. The restaurant’s beef comes from grass-fed cows, and no grains of any kind enter the kitchen. One noticeable result is that hamburgers arrive at customers’ tables without buns.

“We’ve been eating that way for a couple years,” Elizabeth said. “We gave up sugar for Lent a few years back. And, after going six weeks, we thought we should just keep going. That was how the sugar-free part started. And then, John lost quite a bit of weight. So, we started doing more reading about stuff. Then . . . we decided to go gluten free. And, the last step was doing dairy free. The more we read about stuff, the more we kept pushing it along.”

The two believe there is something spiritual about eating this way, especially denying cravings for unhealthy food like sweets. They also incorporate fasting into their dietary regimen.

And, just like prayer, they believe this type of eating pattern should be a permanent part of their lives.

“It’s a lifestyle,” Elizabeth said. “It’s not something you do short-term [and then quit]. It’s the way you’re going to eat for the rest of your life, not a short-term diet.”

Slowly, they are converting people to the health benefits of this diet, often referred to as the Paleo diet, which is where the name for their restaurant came from. They have developed some loyal customers already, but still recognize that taking the bun off the hamburger will take some getting used to.

“We’re kind of going out on a limb with this,” John said. “You can go [elsewhere] and get something that’s gluten free, but not a menu that’s [all gluten free].”

Said Elizabeth: “We’re the only restaurant of this type in the state. And, very few even nationwide right now.”

To show support for what the Pavlicks are doing — and to enjoy some good food — Schulte Palacheck said she will eat at the restaurant.

“I plan to visit them personally, first and foremost because John and Elizabeth are giving back to their broader community, especially women who struggle financially while trying to care for their baby,” she said. “I think their menu looks phenomenal and healthy. . . . I am definitely hoping others will visit Paleos, and thank John and Elizabeth for the wonderful way they are giving back — such a gift to these mothers in need.”

For more information about Paleos, visit paleoslinolakes.com.

Life Fund helps women and babiesThe Life Fund of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is an outreach to help women carry their unborn babies to term or care for their newborn babies during their first year. All funds come from donations, and every dollar collected goes directly to the women in need.

Last year, the fund collected $30,151 and helped 228 women. It is managed by the archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life, and helps with things such as baby items and rent.

“The need for donations is always great,” said Sonya Flomo, the office’s Life Fund grants administrator. “With government cuts and program changes, many families fall through the cracks of government assistance. Housing is the most critical need.”

For more information about the fund, call (651) 291-4515. To donate, make checks payable to Archdiocesan Life Fund and mail to:

The Archdiocesan Life Fund
328 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102-1997

 


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