Where do you buy your meat? I think shopping a little more old-school by visiting a neighborhood butcher is such a bigger pleasure (and often a bigger savings) than buying meat from the grocery store.
In New York, I shop at Florence Fine Meat Market, a little storefront in our neighborhood that's been open since 1936. There's classical music on the radio, sawdust on the floor and just about all of the steaks are cut to order from meat pulled from the back. This means you can get the cuts you want (1 inch? 2 inches? You name it) and interact with the butchers themselves. I always get into a conversation about what to do with what cut, or where the meat comes from. And the prices are great.
Here's a list of some of the favorite small old-school butchers in the cities where our writers live.
We hope that you will add your favorite old-school butchers in your city or town. Leave the name, address, neighborhood, website or any other relevant information you have.
Boston
• The Butcher Shop
552 Tremont Street
South End, Boston
(617) 423-4800
• McKinnon's Meat Market
239 Elm Street
Somerville
(617) 666-0888
McKinnon's on AT: Boston
Chicago
• Paulina Meat Market
3501 North Lincoln Avenue
Lakeview, Chicago
(773) 248-6272
• Lincoln Quality Meat Market
4661 North Lincoln Avenue
Lincoln Square, Chicago
(773) 561-4570
• Moo & Oink
7158 South Stony Island Avenue
South Shore, Chicago
(773) 248-6272
Columbus
• Blues Creek Farm Meats
North Market
59 Spruce Street
Short North, Columbus
(614) 228-5727
Los Angeles
• Marconda's Meat Market
LA Farmers' Market
6333 West 3rd Street
West Hollywood
(323) 938-5131
Marconda's on The Kitchn
• Harvey's Guss Meat Company
949 South Ogden Drive
Los Angeles
(323) 937-4622
• Alexander's Prime Meats
Inside Howie's Market
6580 North San Gabriel Boulevard
San Gabriel
(626) 286-8871
New York City
• Florence Prime Meat Market
5 Jones Street
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
(212) 242-6531
• Lobel's of New York
1096 Madison Avenue
Upper East Side, Manhattan
(877) 783-4512
• Marlow & Daughters
95 Broadway
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
(718) 388-5700
San Francisco
• Avedano's Holly Park Market
235 Cortland Avenue
San Francisco
(415) 285-6328
Avedano's on The Kitchn
• Drewes Brothers Meats
1706 Church Street
Noe Valley, San Francisco
(415) 821-0515
Drewes Brothers on The Kitchn
• Bryan's Quality Meats
3473 California Street
Laurel Heights, San Francisco
(415) 752-3430
• Guerra's Meats
490 Taraval Street
Parkside
(415) 564-0585
Guerra's on The Kitchn
In Los Angeles I would add Bel Air Meats and Huntington, also at the Farmer's Market.
Not that Harvey Guss isn't a regular butcher. He is primarily a wholesaler to restaurants but will accept personal orders with 24H notice. Limited time frame for pickup ever day. Best quality conventional meat, though, in Los Angeles.
We also buy meat from various farmers in the farmer's markets.
view JudiAU's profile
Philadelphia:
Reading Terminal Market
why do people always forget philadelphia...?
view sgnt13's profile
In Chicago, I would add Gepperth's Market at 1964 N. Halsted Chicago, Il.
I like Paulina's, although it gets so crazy in there on the weekends! You have to know exactly what you want, because it's too crowded to really shop.
view Kathryn's profile
Another Chicago market:
GEPPERTH'S MARKET
1964 N. Halsted Chicago, Il.
(773)549-3883
Fax (773)549-3897
view art's profile
On the border of North Oakland and Berkeley, Ver Bruges, at the corner of College and Alcatraz. Fantastic products, great prices and very knowledgable and friendly service.
view Elissa-D's profile
Anyone know about butchers in Nashville? My searching thus far has come to nought.
view kmays's profile
Don't forget Los Paisanos & Staubitz in Cobble Hill. We're lucky enough to have 2 within a couple of blocks of each other.
view sebnmg's profile
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, I should have specified.
view sebnmg's profile
Yay, Drewes Brothers! They were my first neighborhood butchers. Now that I'm in LA, it's Huntington Meats in the Farmers Market.
view chowbella's profile
Anyone know of a good butcher in Atlanta?
view Torrie's profile
Art - great minds think alike...and at exactly the same moment!
view Kathryn's profile
In Chicago: Holzkopf's, on Broadway, just south of Granville. Used to be Bornhofen's. Mark (new owner) is really friendly.
view applebranch's profile
JJ&F Market in Palo Alto, CA. My dad is the owner and butcher and still breaks down all of our beef himself.
view mergarcia's profile
On Long Island, I'd recommend Forest Pork Store:
http://longislandfoodie.com/2008/06/17/forest-pork-store/
view LongIslandFoodie's profile
We just moved away from a FABULOUS butch - VGs on Oak Lawn in Dallas.
Are there any in San Jose????? I miss my butcher!!!!!!
http://embritadesign.blogspot.com
view EmmieB's profile
how about butchers in portland, or?
http://threadtrace.wordpress.com
view cassiopia's profile
I'm in Atlanta too. We haven't found a butcher.
view gnomette's profile
I second the question of butchers in Nashville. Any ideas?
view sar3j's profile
cassiopia-
check out the Chop meat counter at City Market (735 NW 21st Ave). It used to be the old Viande Meats outpost-- but it sounds like they'll be opening a new location where the Laurelhurst Market (3155 E Burnside) used to be come spring, so keep your eye out for that if you're on the eastside.
view arttarte's profile
And Baltimore?
view porcine_dream's profile
I go to Jeffrey's Meat Market at Essex Market in NYC. The quality is great, the people there are so friendly and Jeffrey gave me great advice on how to cook roast pork for the first time. Love LOVE this place.
view tingting's profile
In Cambridge/Somerville/Boston it is a crime against humanity not to have mentioned Savenor's! ( http://www.savenorsmarket.com/ ) The location in Cambridge was Julia Child's butcher and they are every bit as wonderful today. They are helpful, never make me feel like an idiot when I have silly questions. And they have everything from wild boar saussage to very reasonably priced beef and chicken to Kobe Beef steaks and pretty much any other crazy thing you can imagine. Tubs of rendered duck fat? sure. Foie Gras? Yeppers. And they have a wonderful fresh sea food selection. Oh, and beautiful, very reasonably priced produce and some really great cheese. I
view Mara's profile
thanks arttarte!
view cassiopia's profile
San Diego:
Iowa Meat Farm
http://iowameatfarms.com/
view crdesign's profile