More Than Bacon: 8 Reasons to Love Your Neighborhood Butcher
The Swinery, an artisan butcher that also offers house-cured meats, cheeses and dry goods opened just a few days ago in my neighborhood of West Seattle. I'd been chomping at the bit, waiting for the store to open so I could sample the house-made, dry-cured bacon. It comes from free-range pigs that are allowed to forage, resulting in the beautiful marbleized slices shown here.
Even more exciting than the bacon, though, is the surprising number of small butcher shops that have been popping up across the country over the last few months--like North End Butchers, the butcher shop and fine food store my friends Zachary and Clark are now frequenting in Brattleboro, Vermont.
One weekend they tried the rustic paté, ground beef, and T-bone. All delicious. So they went back for more. Now they're regulars, and here's why:
8 Reasons We Love Our Neighborhood Butcher Shop
1. Everyone remembers our names
2. House-made Normandy Onion Soup (the best French onion soup ever; who knew?)
3. House-made demi-glace and chicken, beef, and veal stock
4. House-made aioli to go with...
5. Cut-to-order local beef, pork, duck, chicken, lamb, pheasant, and quail
6. Fresh baguettes from King Arthur Flour Bakers (the famous company is based in Vermont, you know)
7. Wine selected by our oenophile friend (it's a small town...)
8. House-made duck liver paté, to go with our evening martinis
Has a butcher shop recently opened in your neighborhood? Let's celebrate this new trend. Share your favorite butcher shop and the reasons you love it.
--Tracy Schneider
marco on September 29, 2009 at 10:51 PM
The Swinery is great, I loved their Porchetta sandwich and the Black Forrest Ham.
jeux pokemon on September 30, 2009 at 05:44 AM
Hey where i get it, it looks really yummy.. Ya offcourse Swinery is really great..
Leslie Kelly on September 30, 2009 at 07:44 AM
Tracy,
We are truly spoiled in Seattle. I love Don and Joe's at the Pike Place Market and am a big fan of A & J's on top of Queen Anne. Try the Maui marinated short ribs! The great bonus at A & J's is it shares a spot with the outstanding seafood purveyor, Wild Salmon, which has pristine stuff at decent prices.
justcooknyc on October 01, 2009 at 10:51 AM
i'd be so happy if a place like this opened in my nabe.
Height Increase on October 02, 2009 at 08:41 PM
Yes let's start this new hype! I love my butcher.