Once upon a time, you could buy meat on Main Street.
Gristede’s is long gone. But M.EAT — a high-quality purveyor of beef and lamb — opened today in Bedford Square.
The butcher shop’s primary source is Uruguay. Meat is also imported from Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia.
It’s a welcome addition to downtown.
Even if the M.EAT name is a bit too cute for my taste.
M.EAT, in Bedford Square
Well, Dan, if the name is too cute for you then don’t… mmmm…. eat (it).
(I must be getting punchy with all this rain).
I loved going to Gristedes with my mom.
I agree with Ben Franklin. Why are we high fiving a business that has to have its meat shipped from South America/Australia/NZ when there are amazing farms locally? This mystifies me. And also, it tells me that there is much more education that needs to done in our town. Despite a thriving farmers market, Fleishers, and many other local food purveyors, the introduction of this new butcher is somehow deemed a welcome addition to our town. It’s like going to Whole Foods to buy avocados from Mexico or brussel sprouts from South America. <>
I want all our Westport businesses to succeed. Period.
Best of luck, MEAT, and welcome to the neighborhood!
By the way, that’s an extremely cool clock.
I hope it succeeds also. Yes, it would be nice if it were locally grown meat but, would Westport really want a slaughter house? Local businesses, even if the goods are imported are good. I loved standing at the meat counter with my Mom at Gristedes. Someone correct me if my memory is wrong but I think the Bridge Market was another place that, in the “old days”, carried excellent meat.
There was a meat market on the west side of Main St. in the 1950’s called Charles Market. Must have been in the mid 50’s since I remember going with my Grandparents on almost every Sat. morning. A&P was across the street which was also a shopping stop.
Let us not forget Fleisher’s in the Saugatuck area; Great meat!
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So very much too cute a name…makes one wish to avoid the place.
What possessed them?
The Westport Food Center in the 50s-60s….across the street from Kleins was the meat market to go to when Mac meat on the corner of Post Rd and North Maple closed…Mac was an Irish poet ,philosopher, butcher and he gave all the young mothers with hands cracked from diaper washing,a piece of lamb fat that was full of lanolin to soften our hands…didn’t smell great but did the job….very happy to see butchers back in town..
For many years there was also Westbank Food Shop in the shopping center next to Settlers & Traders. I worked there for a short time and they had customers who came from many towns away just for their meat specialties.They had a full time butcher named John who was truly an old world butcher. One of his specialties was fully de-boned and intact Cornish game hens. Lots of patience needed for a job like that! It’s good to see some traditional butcher shops back in Westport.
Just a suggestion to the owners – it might be nice if they carried some Halal meats for our Muslim friends in Fairfield County. Costco sells Halal Lamb from Australia – just a thought as my Muslim friends have difficulty finding meat nearby. Perhaps they could figure out how people’s could preorder – not sure how it works
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My Father was a self trained butcher. Meat was delivered in whole pieces (side of beef, whole lamb, whole Pig etc. I can still see him in my minds eye taking the customers request, going into his “Icebox” and coming out with a large piece of meat, dropping it on the meat block and cutting out the customers request in the same manner as an artist swings a paint brush. Then presenting an always beautiful and perfect cut which he wrapped in clean white butcher paper, tied the package with butcher string and delivered it with a confident smile. Clean, fresh and perfect was the only language he spoke.
Hmmmm; with the possible exception of Jackson Pollack, I am quite certain that artists do not SWING their brushes….EVER.