In the days before modern refrigeration, same-day shopping for perishables was a must. A block of ice didn’t last long on a warm day and so people would make special trips to buy just the right amount of meat or seafood for immediate consumption. And every neighborhood had its "mom and pop-owned" meat markets where you could gossip or haggle with the local butchers.
Now, in the era of Costco and WinCo, it’s not uncommon to see individuals loading up on weeks’ worth of groceries —including meat — all at once. I guess I’ve lived through too many power outages, and lost too much good food as a consequence, to feel confident about doing that.
In addition, I just prefer to buy meat and seafood on a whim. I can’t predict what I’ll feel like cooking next week. And I enjoy the “adventure” of visiting specialty grocery stores.
For example, I'd heard rave reviews for Blue Ribbon Meat Co., 1436 Prater Way in nearby Sparks, Nevada.
Hoping we’d get a chance to grill on Sunday, my husband and I headed over to Blue Ribbon on Saturday. (The place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.)
As I’d been told, Blue Ribbon has a vast selection of premium meats: chicken, beef, pork, lamb and a wide variety of sausages.
Service is prompt and friendly and the prices are fair for very fresh meat. While I was perusing the meat cases, my husband noticed a guy carrying in two whole pigs.
We were pleased with our purchases of bone-in chicken breasts and fresh Polish sausage. Our plans to use our charcoal grill fell through, since it was too windy to light a fire, but we’ll definitely go back to Blue Ribbon and try other items soon.
As for meat sellers in South Reno, the WinCo supermarket at 9750 S. Virginia St. has great bargains on family-sized packs of meat and some unusual items such as Hot Italian Bratwurst.
I did a double-take when I saw this. Is it Italian sausage or Bratwurst? I’ve always thought the two were distinctively different.
We tried a pack and decided it tasted more like Italian than Bratwurst. Not terrible, but not something we’d crave.
Meanwhile, South Reno’s Market on South Virginia, which previously was home to Butcher Boys, European Food Emporium and briefly, Bronx Pizzeria, has been vacant for quite a while. Maybe that’s why the cow looks grumpy.
If not motivated to drive to Sparks, we can always rely on finding good steaks, chicken, sausages and seafood at the South Reno Whole Foods, 6139 S. Virginia St. or Trader Joe’s, 5035 S. McCarran Blvd. The latter is the cheaper place to shop, although the meat products are pre-packaged. If you want meat cut to your specifications, Blue Ribbon or Whole Foods are the best choices for personal service.
Blue Ribbon Meat Co. doesn't have a Web site, but for more information, call (775) 358-8116.
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