A good local butcher?
In case you're in the market for something like this.
After yesterday's quick post about Fun in Saratoga Dan's trip to Meat House in Wilton, Kim D asked:
This brings up a topic that's been on my mind for quite some time: AOA readers' suggestions for good, local butchers? (has this topic been covered before? if so, i missed it. if not, suggestions?)
As it happens, we have not had that question, yet.
So... suggestions? And, in your experience, what's the difference buying from a butcher shop compared to, say, the local Chopper?
Earlier on AOA:
+ Rolf's Pork Store
+ Two years ago Amy BA went looking to buy a whole cow.
photo: Flicker user VirtualErn
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Comments
Butchers at Price Chopper are very good, especially the one in Glenmont. Fast, courteous and always have a good supply of offerings. I know it's not Wegman's or Whole Foods, but they do a great job.
... said Moe on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:14 PM | link
That's one grissley piece of meat....call the doc for a triple bypass for all that fat!
... said rob on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:20 PM | link
My favorite local butcher is probably Roma in Latham - they have 'happy' meats that are affordable, and most of all, tasty.
I like Helmbold's in Troy as well - their pork products are supposedly hormone and antibiotic free.
Rolf's makes some wild sausages and cased meats. And awesome pickles.
I love, love, love the meat from Cardona's, but it is usually too expensive for me to consider on a regular basis. But really tasty. If I were richer I'd shop there.
... said Albany Jane on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:22 PM | link
I think we should bring it to readers' attention that grocery stores and butchers are not the only places to get meat. We have tons of farmers throughout the region who offer grass-fed, sustainably-raised meats. I "cowpooled" with friends and received 1/8 of a grass-fed cow completely butchered for a steal! Now I have hamburger meat, steaks, ribs, roasts and stew meat to last me for months. Visit your local farmers market!
... said Jen C on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:33 PM | link
Locust Grove smoke House on rt 40 in Argyle
Nessle Brothers on ct route 74 in Greenwich
Fred the Butcher in Clifton Park
All are definitely worth the trip.
... said Adrian on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:34 PM | link
Cardona's on Delaware has a great selection of meats, will hand cut them, and they also carry all natural products.
... said Pam on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:39 PM | link
@Jen C: Thanks for pointing that out. From which farm did you get your cowpool?
... said Greg on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:39 PM | link
"That's one grissley piece of meat....call the doc for a triple bypass for all that fat!"
Grissley? Looks nice and marbled to me, that's what good beef is supposed to look like...
Have you ever seen kobe beef?
... said Go Phish on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:54 PM | link
Laposta's on Rt 40 just north of Troy has fabulous meat. Perfect place to stop on a sunny day when you want something special for the grill.
... said komradebob on Mar 23, 2010 at 4:54 PM | link
Garofalo's in Schenectady has damn good burgers. I'm told the rest of their stock is good too.
google maps here: http://bit.ly/bwj0Ws
... said Isaac on Mar 23, 2010 at 5:13 PM | link
Sanders Meat Market in Ballston Spa is new and very, very nice. Run by Tim and Heidi Sanders. Try it!
... said Larry Sombke on Mar 23, 2010 at 5:35 PM | link
It's not exactly local, but Fleisher's in Kingston is without question the best butcher I have ever visited. Grassfed, pasture raised beef pork and chicken, the staff are serious fanatics and they supply some of the biggest names in NYC. It's certainly worth the trip, not everyone is lucky enough to have a world-class butcher right in their backyard.
... said Bill on Mar 23, 2010 at 5:52 PM | link
We've been very happy with Falvo's in Slingerlands and McCarroll's in Delmar. Falvo's advertises in the T-U and has some pretty terrific sales.
... said slilly on Mar 23, 2010 at 6:08 PM | link
I second the recommendation for Garafolo's in Schenectady. Their product is fantastic!
I would also suggest hitting the local farmers markets (Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga) for vendors that offer quality grass-fed beef and free range poultry.
... said bethie d on Mar 23, 2010 at 8:21 PM | link
I vote for Fred the Butcher in Halfmoon. Although, there seems to be a new place coming right around the corner from my house in Waterford. If/when that place opens, I'll let y'all know how it is.
... said Slacker on Mar 23, 2010 at 8:38 PM | link
Seconding Cardona's! They sell local, all-natural meat, too.
... said irisira on Mar 23, 2010 at 8:39 PM | link
Falvo's---all the way. Qualified butchers who know their cuts of beef--dry aging--and some great specials from time to time-
... said mel on Mar 23, 2010 at 9:46 PM | link
Antibiotic-free "natural" beef is available at Cardona's (between 10-15 bucks per pound, 6 for ground chuck), as are certified humane chickens. The chickens are so worth the extra cost (3.29/lb for whole chickens)- they are like a different animal than the stuff in the supermarket. Cardona's offers "freezer packs" at pretty good deals, though they include hot dogs and other antibiotic meats sometimes. They hook me up with deals sometimes when I buy in bulk for work (feeding 30). Roma's carries a lot of local meats as they are available. The difference between this and the supermarket butcher is that you definitely won't get e.coli. It is expensive just like doing the right thing often is. Quality, not quantity!
... said Lucy on Mar 23, 2010 at 11:04 PM | link
i very rarely buy any kind of meat from anyplace other than a friend's farm or the farmers market, but if/when the occasion arises that i need to get a specific cut of meat, i need to know a good place where i can walk in, tell the 'butcher" what im looking for, and they can retrieve it - i.e., they can cut it.
... said Kim D. on Mar 24, 2010 at 6:53 AM | link
I'm surprised no one's said it yet but Greulich's Market in Guilderland. They've been butchering meat for our area since the 1940s.
... said Max on Mar 24, 2010 at 8:28 AM | link
Does anybody know anything about the Latham Meat Market on Route 9? I've been driving by it for 12 years and have never seen any customers in there.
... said Amy on Mar 24, 2010 at 10:20 AM | link
Another vote for Sanders Meat Market in Ballston Spa -- they're great!
... said Julie on Mar 24, 2010 at 10:34 AM | link
Does anyone know if Roma's, Latham Meat Market, or others in the area actually butcher the meat? I mean, not slice steaks from a cryovac'd roast...but actually get in the whole or halves of the beasts?
Anyone with some knowledge and a good sharp butcher's knife can cut steaks from a whole prime rib, trim off the excess fat...etc, I know that I can do this, but to really butcher various cuts of meat from different animals is an art that is hard to find these days.
... said llcwine on Mar 24, 2010 at 12:18 PM | link
The Latham Meat Market has parking in the back, which is probably why you don't see people parking in the hard to get out of spots up front. They carry nice meat at decent prices and I can walk there, so yet another reason you won't see my car :).
... said mirdreams on Mar 24, 2010 at 12:53 PM | link
We got our Thanksgiving turkey from Route 66 Meats & Smokehouse this year. The process was easy and the price was pretty good.
I haven't gone back just yet to see what else they have but it seemed like a nice place. I think they close a little early as it always seems to be buttoned up when I drive home from work.
... said mstyne on Mar 24, 2010 at 2:14 PM | link
Falvos in voorheesville or the meat store next to the italian place on route 9(name is escaping me)
... said SHAWN ALBERRY on Mar 24, 2010 at 2:14 PM | link
For Wynantskill, Brunswick, East side of Troy neighbors, there are two places we love. Fist, the Rt2 66 Smokehouse on Main Avenue in Wynantskill is excellent. They have the best smoked salmon. 2nd - we get all of our ground beef and beef products from Miller Farm on Pinewoods Avenue. This farmis an excellent find! Grass-fed ground beef, raised right on their grounds, for $4.50/ lb. Tremendous product at a tremendous price. They have a ton of selection on other products as well.
... said Annmarie Lanesey on Mar 29, 2010 at 11:42 AM | link
We've bought a lot of great steaks from Falvos, out on RT 85A in Slingerlands.
... said Chris Miller on Mar 29, 2010 at 12:11 PM | link
I know that Roma's in Latham (next to the Italian store) carries some prime and Kobe beef. Also, Cardona's on Deleware Ave, Albany, also carries some prime. However, I'm looking for a local equivalent to Fleischer's of Kingston. While the farmers markets can be good, I'm not looking for just grass fed tiny portions.. I prefer the fat and marbling of grass fed/grain finished with whole bellies, pork shoulders, etc.
As the book "meat" discusses of the butchers still available in England. I want a butcher that will take an order, carve it from a real side of meat (not a cryovac), carries prime, and dry ages. Also that has available varietal meats (I'd love some heritage pig pork belly). Can keep things in the cooler on a hook for you for aging the way you'd like it. In other words, a butcher, not just a meat cutter.
... said thomas h white on Mar 31, 2010 at 2:32 PM | link
Fresh Market does a good job with meat.
That steak does not look appetizing by the way, I would never eat that.
... said Chris on Feb 14, 2011 at 11:30 AM | link