International Meats on Grand. My new source of Meat

If you've ever driven by International Meats, one would think its a vacant commercial meat purveyor. Though it looks slightly uninviting, i urge you to walk through it's doors. You'll be greeted by the The Bomprezzi brothers and their children. Fixtures in the neighborhood, they've been cutting meat for generations. My mom swears by their italian sausage (Johnnie's Beef uses them) and giant 1/2 pound kobe burgers and frankly, that;s all i've ever had from them. For majority of my professional cooking life, I ignorantly shrugged them off as just sausage guys with only utility meat on hand. Until now...

Today I went in for some steaks and got the grand tour. I was floored that I was so close to such great meat. Imperial Wagyu briskets (!), dry aged bone in rib eyes, a large selection of natural beef, pork and poultry brands. Today I picked up well marbled filets and a giant 28-day dry aged bone-in ribeye.

I was getting so sick of the lack of butchers in the area, and the only other source for Prime or Dry Aged beef was to pay outrageous prices at Whole Foods or go into the city and pay even more. So happy this exists. Great prices, great family and great resource for anyone looking for skilled butchers in the Oak Park, River Forest, Elmwood Park, Northwest Side areas. Now if only they opened a nice little storefront....

International Meats
7107 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60707
(773) 622-1400
victorbomprezzi@gmail.com

Jeff,

International Meats looks right up my alley, and I will get there soon, but don't forget about Joseph's Finest Meats on Addison just East of Harlem. Dry age beef, house made sausage, deli meat/cheese, small selection of Italian dry goods and real honest to goodness butchers. A fine example of an Old School Butcher shop.

Regards,
Gary


Joseph's Finest Meats
7101 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60634
773-736-376

Plus the focaccia sandwiches sitting on the butcher counter at Joseph's are to die for.

I probably drive past that store once or twice a week (usually on my way to or from Caputo's). While the outside sign, in rather ragged fashion says something to the effect of "open to the public", the building, sign and surrounding lot make it always seem like it has long been closed and out of business.

I have never ventured inside, and anyone from the area whom I have asked if it is indeed open usually reply with a shrug or an "I don't know, I never tried".

Now that I know, I will give it a try, although if their sign is correct the hours are a little tight to make it on a normal work day.

How were the prices of those steaks?

Thanks, Jeff! Great find. Those steaks. . . *drooly Homer Simpson noises*

PS When will we see new eps of "Sandwich King"? Hell, reruns would be great. I still have never seen the ep featuring our fellow LTHforum member, Edzo. Tragic! No knock on the "The Kitchen," but I prefer your signature show, for obvious reasons.

Monday around 2pm I got the hankering for a steak on a nice sunny day so I headed over to Int'l. Got there around 2:15 PM, hours are 7-3, cool.

Door was locked so I rang the bell. Guy come and opens up, looks me up and down and says "whaddya want?" I tell him I'm there for four ribeyes or maybe porterhouses. He tells me they don't have any and basically yells at me for not calling in my order at 7am. He pushes a price list in my hand and walks away.

Maybe I'm not Food TV enough. To quote Dr. Venkman: "I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me."

It's too bad really, I would have been a regular customer if I hadn't been treated like a schmuck.

Octarine wrote:Monday around 2pm I got the hankering for a steak on a nice sunny day so I headed over to Int'l. Got there around 2:15 PM, hours are 7-3, cool.

Door was locked so I rang the bell. Guy come and opens up, looks me up and down and says "whaddya want?" I tell him I'm there for four ribeyes or maybe porterhouses. He tells me they don't have any and basically yells at me for not calling in my order at 7am. He pushes a price list in my hand and walks away.

Maybe I'm not Food TV enough. To quote Dr. Venkman: "I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me."

It's too bad really, I would have been a regular customer if I hadn't been treated like a schmuck.

That sucks. Are they not a retail operation?

=R=

I went there a few years ago and got more or less the same treatment. At least they let me inside a small office.
I was handed a price sheet and asked what I wanted. There's no way as far as I knew to see what your getting and the prices were about average so rather than risk buying mystery meat I headed over to Joseph's.

Just got a msg fm then they close at 2pm and are not allowed to cut any meat after 12 noon.

All the guy had to say was that and I'd have been fine.