Looking for a Butcher around Belmont/Cumberland

As the subject says, I'm looking for a butcher around the Belmont/Cumberland area. Growing up in Rogers Park I was a big fan of Carl's at Bryn Mawr and Clark. When they closed we found another place on Broadway called (I'm sure I'll spell it wrong) Bornhoffer's. It wasn't as good as Carl's, but sure beat the heck out of Jewel and Dominicks.

But we've been in this area now for about 8 years and just haven't found anything that's worth making the extra trip worthwhile. But I know there has to be something around here and we just haven't found it.

I'm not looking for anything super fancy. It doesn't have to be prime aged, good choice is OK. But would at least like some prime to be available. I just want a place that will cut me a strip steak as thick as I want and knows how to properly trim the meat. And I want a place that will sell me a sirloin tip roast that, at least occasionally, doesn't have a massive line of grissle hidden in the middle.

And of course, I don't want a place that sends me into shock when I see the prices. Yea, it's going to be more expensive than the pre-packaged SELECT junk. But I also don't want to pay Gibson prices.

Hopefully you folks have some suggestions.

You're about 4 miles from the excellent Devon Ave Meats in Park Ridge. I know it's Gary's current favorite butcher (and I've enjoyed their product a few times in the past).

Devon Avenue Meats
800 Devon Ave
Park Ridge, IL 60068
847-825-0478
(Inside Morningfield

I second Ed's recommendation of the butcher in Morningfields.

If you're going all the way to Park Ridge, check out a couple of places in Niles.

Schmeisser's 7649 Milwaukee -- Steaks and German specialties (they started out in Prussia in the 1930's)

Minelli Bros. Italian Specialties 7780 N. Milwaukee --Great hot Italian sausage and other meats cut to order.

I drove out to Devon Meats/Morningfields a few weeks ago to see what they had and I've got to say I was disappointed in the amount of marbling of the prime strip steaks on display. They looked like choice!! Maybe it's just that I like to see a real full service butcher shop more like Paulina. FYI, Paulina is now selling prime strips, ribeyes, and top sirloins.

On my way back in that day, I stopped at Geppherts on Halsted where I saw some of the most beautifully marbled prime ribeyes that I've seen in a while (strips, porterhouses, and top sirloins as well). A two inch thick mini rib roast set me back $40. Gepperth's prices are similar to those at Fox and Obel.

Thanks folks. Like I said, I'm not really looking for something in the price range of Fox & Obel. If I want to pay those kind of prices I"ll just go to Gibsons and have someone else cook it for me

I'll have to check out the place in Park Ridge.

I've had mostly good product from Devon Meat Market / Morningfields but always paid through the nose. For value in this neighborhood I've been lucky with Produce World, the SE corner of Lawrence & Cumberland.

Is that Produce World,to the best of your knowledge,affiliated with the one at Dempster and Waukegan in Morton Grove?

Evil Ronnie wrote:I drove out to Devon Meats/Morningfields a few weeks ago to see what they had and I've got to say I was disappointed in the amount of marbling of the prime strip steaks on display. They looked like choice!! Maybe it's just that I like to see a real full service butcher shop more like Paulina. FYI, Paulina is now selling prime strips, ribeyes, and top sirloins.

Evil,

Typically I'm on the same page as you, but in this instance I disagree. While I think Paulina is a hell of a butcher, I find their choice beef overpriced, and, last time I was there, they did not have non-frozen prime in stock.

Devon Ave Meats, on the other hand, has very good quality, not Allen Bros quality, but pretty damn good, prime dry-age bone-in rib-eye for $10 per lb. I've been happy with everything I've bought at Devon and suggest, next time you are in that neighborhood, giving them another look-see.

Enjoy,
Gary

shecky -

The Produce World in Norridge is the newer, larger sibling of the one in Morton Grove. Bigger meat section, more Polish specialties [appropriate, given the neighborhood], larger produce selection and MORE ROOM. I felt claustrophobic the one time I was in the Morton Grove store.

And I really like their home-made yogurt.

Giovanna

Well I got to try both Devon Avenue Meats and the Produce World in Norridge today, Well, sort of tried them.

First made the trip to Devon. It looked pretty good and the prices didn't seem outrageous. Unfortunately before I could even bother to really check the place out I noticed the sign that said NO CREDIT CARDS. That took me right out of the ballgame so I just left.

Next up was Produce World. This place is much closer to home but I've only been in there once. What little I saw of the butcher section didn't impress me that one time but I figured I'd take a closer look today.

They have a lot of stuff already out and pre-packaged. What I saw that was out was not really impressive. They had a lot of stuff that was SELECT and a lot of stuff that looked less than fresh.

I then went to the cooler. There they did have some CHOICE strip steaks and I did pick up 2 of them. I then asked if they had any sirloin tip roasts. I was told that they didn't have anything that wasn't already out. Well the few roasts that were out didn't impress me. It didn't sound like the guy behind the counter didn't want to be of much service. Maybe it's different during the week.

midas wrote:First made the trip to Devon. It looked pretty good and the prices didn't seem outrageous. Unfortunately before I could even bother to really check the place out I noticed the sign that said NO CREDIT CARDS. That took me right out of the ballgame so I just left.

If you get a chance, do try to make it there with cash in tow. I just cooked up a 2.25lb bone-in prime ribeye ($22) from devon ave meats for dinner tonight, and it was superb.

-ed

I will eventually get back there. I just wasn't expecting it when we went in there today.

Caputo's also has a serviceable butcher and has started cutting ridiculously (low) priced prime steaks.

kafein wrote:Caputo's also has a serviceable butcher and has started cutting ridiculously (low) priced prime steaks.

Oooh. Caputo's on Harlem has started getting prime? Maybe I'll need to cruise by today or tomorrow.

Do you remember any prices per cut offhand?

I made it by today and saw no prime for sale at all. They've also changed their layout since I was last there -- they added a much larger frozen foods section and decreased the space available to prewrapped deli items, like the elephant-shaped provolones and their ilk.

all the beef i was saw choice or, even worse, select. prices for meat had gone up, too. flank steak (choice): $6/lb. skirt steak (choice): $4.89/lb.

they seem to be focusing more and more on prepared foods. the butcher area was now dominated by pre-breaded or pre-marinated chicken and such, rather than a layout of ribeyes.

-ed

gleam,you might have gone too late.Other than Jewel and Dominicks,which start their sales on Thursday,all the others seem to start their sales on Wednesday.

Well I finally made it back to Devon Meats today. I know it's been a long time but I wanted to bring this back up hoping some of you folks could give me some more info on this place.

First, the only thing I saw marked prime was the sirloin. Nothing else was marked with any grading. Is the other stuff choice or is it select? I would think, even if it were choice that they would mark it as such.

Second question, is this really a butcher, or is it just a meat store? By that I mean, can I tell them I want 1½" thick strip steaks and have them cut them to order? Or is what you see what you get?

midas wrote:First, the only thing I saw marked prime was the sirloin. Nothing else was marked with any grading. Is the other stuff choice or is it select? I would think, even if it were choice that they would mark it as such.

Second question, is this really a butcher, or is it just a meat store? By that I mean, can I tell them I want 1½" thick strip steaks and have them cut them to order? Or is what you see what you get?

They'll cut to order, so you can request a steak as thick as you want. My suspicion is that almost all the meat is USDA choice. It is certainly no less than choice.

One of my favorite things to get from them is a one-bone ribeye. That is, a bone-in ribeye that has a full rib, Flintstone style.

midas wrote:As the subject says, I'm looking for a butcher around the Belmont/Cumberland area.
I just want a place that will cut me a strip steak as thick as I want and knows how to properly trim the meat. And I want a place that will sell me a sirloin tip roast that, at least occasionally, doesn't have a massive line of grissle hidden in the middle.

I think I can recommend a place to suit you.It is on belmont ,north side of street a few doors east of nagle. I use them when I am in the area and I know several people who are second generation customers. Not a very fancy or upscale place, just a neighborhood butcher shop

Bob

P & S Meat Market
6358 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60634
Phone: (773) 725-5474

bob kopczynski wrote:I think I can recommend a place to suit you.It is on belmont ,north side of street a few doors east of nagle. I use them when I am in the area and I know several people who are second generation customers. Not a very fancy or upscale place, just a neighborhood butcher shop

Bob

P & S Meat Market
6358 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60634
Phone: (773) 725-5474

I've actually been to P & S in the past. I worked at the Midas shop that was right down the street from there and often got carry-out from Peter Pan, which was right next door. However I always remember that parking was a pain around there so it's never really crossed my mind to go there again. I just might do that.

midas wrote:First, the only thing I saw marked prime was the sirloin. Nothing else was marked with any grading. Is the other stuff choice or is it select? I would think, even if it were choice that they would mark it as such.

Midas,

Their beef is, as Ed mentioned, high grade choice with some prime beef, rib-eye, sirloin, strip steaks. Filets and porterhouse are typically choice. I highly doubt Devon Ave Meats carries select.

midas wrote:Second question, is this really a butcher, or is it just a meat store? By that I mean, can I tell them I want 1½" thick strip steaks and have them cut them to order? Or is what you see what you get?

Most assuredly, as Ed said, Devon Ave Meats is a full service butcher, they cut to order. I've found the counter people, typically one of the owners, to be quite interactive, if you have meat specific questions I'm sure they will be happy to answer them.

On another note, I am seriously starting to doubt Devon Ave still dry-ages any beef. The last few 'dry-age' steaks I've had haven't had that mineral tang, though they are still quite good for the price. What I find even more curious is there are two owners, Bob and Vince. If you ask Vince about dry-aging he says yes they dry-age, if you ask Bob, he says no they do not dry-age.

Yes, yes, I know, both Ed F and Evil Ronnie have postulated Devon Ave Meats no longer dry-ages any beef, it's taken a year, but I am starting to come around. (Maybe ) I really do have to get to the bottom of this, maybe a tour, w/picture, to the dry-age area Vince said they have in the basement of Morningfield's.

Either way, dry-age or not, prices are reasonable, the beef is good and they will cut to order.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:On another note, I am seriously starting to doubt Devon Ave still dry-ages any beef. The last few 'dry-age' steaks I've had haven't had that mineral tang, though they are still quite good for the price. What I find even more curious is there are two owners, Bob and Vince. If you ask Vince about dry-aging he says yes they dry-age, if you ask Bob, he says no they do not dry-age.

Yes, yes, I know, both Ed F and Evil Ronnie have postulated Devon Ave Meats no longer dry-ages any beef, it's taken a year, but I am starting to come around. (Maybe ) I really do have to get to the bottom of this, maybe a tour, w/picture, to the dry-age area Vince said they have in the basement of Morningfield's.


Enjoy,
Gary

I have made a couple of trips lately to Devon Ave. Meats for rib eye steaks. Although I've never been much of a fan of this store in the past, I've got to admit that lately, the meat has seemed to be a tad better. It's now possible for me to believe that it actually might be prime grade, judging by my last two purchases. I had a lengthy talk with the butcher on Saturday about the beef. After telling me that it was "prime aged beef", he finally admitted that it actually wasn't aged at all upon deeper questioning about the method of aging (wet or dry and how long). Even so, it's pretty good quality for a reasonable price (still $10/lb. for rib eyes). Unfortuantely, they will not cut meat to order unless you want bone in rib eye steaks, in which case they need a 2 day notice?!? They only sell the rib eyes cut approx 1" - 1 1/4" thick and boneless, which is fine with me, but my wife likes her steaks cut thinner than that. The only way I could get a thinner cut steak was to buy a whole steak and then ask them to split it in two. They wouldn't cut it down and sell me only the portioin that I wanted. That means that next time I grill steaks, I will have to grill a previously frozen steak for the wife, something I abhor.

stevez wrote: After telling me that it was "prime aged beef", he finally admitted that it actually wasn't aged at all upon deeper questioning about the method of aging (wet or dry and how long). Even so, it's pretty good quality for a reasonable price (still $10/lb. for rib eyes). Unfortuantely, they will not cut meat to order unless you want bone in rib eye steaks, in which case they need a 2 day notice?!?

Huh, weird. I've always been able to get immediate service on a custom-width bone-in ribeye. I've never gotten anything from Devon Ave Meats other than bone-in ribeye or a standing rib roast, though. Whereever I go I like to get a full-bone ribeye, a single flintstone steak that usually runs 1.75 to 2.25 pounds. We had a quite nice top choice one from Paulina a couple weeks ago that was about the same as the Devon Ave Meats ones I've had, but $5/lb more expensive.

Regardless of the official grade, the price is right, at least for ribeyes.

gleam wrote:
Huh, weird. I've always been able to get immediate service on a custom-width bone-in ribeye. I've never gotten anything from Devon Ave Meats other than bone-in ribeye or a standing rib roast, though.

There were no bone in rib eyes to be had on my last two visits and the 2 day notice was quoted to me both times, as was the no custom cuts policy. I think they have made a decision to become more of a supermarket type operation rather then a custom butcher shop operation, although you can't argue with the quality of the meat or the price.