Is the neighborhood butcher returning to the City Of Angels? Charles G Thompson thinks – and hopes – it might be so. Text And Photos By Charles G Thompson There once was a day when every neighborhood had a local, stand-alone butcher shop.  Chain grocery stores slowly whittled away at these mom-and-pop shops and most have closed.  I live in Los Angeles and without doing research to find them I used to know of two butcher shops.  One was on Larchmont Boulevard in the Larchmont Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, and the other, Marconda’s Meat Market was, and still is, inside the world-famous Farmers Market at 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue.  I used to live near Larchmont Village and would often shop at the butcher there — especially when I needed something unique, or very specific. The butcher in Larchmont Village is long closed. An outing to the Farmers Market requires a long drive and pushing my way through crowds of tourists.  There are still a handful of small butchers one can find in the Los Angeles-area but they are hither and yon, spread across a large, geographical area. 

But all is not lost.  In the past year two neighborhood butchers have opened their doors much to the relief of chefs, home cooks, and the fooderati. McCall’s Meat & Fish Co. opened a little more than a year ago, is owned by husband-and-wife team Nathan McCall and Karen Yoo.  youda sushi chef jogar onlineBoth were chefs and worked in restaurants before becoming neighborhood butchers.  jiro dreams of sushi massage octopusUnlike butchers of yore, they specialize in meat and fish that is from “traditional farms where animals are naturally and humanely raised on the best feed without the use of hormones or chemical enhancements.”  sushi yoshi menu columbia sc

Their fish and seafood is “wild-caught and/or raised in the most natural environment.”  They stock CAB (Certified Angus Beef), locally raised poultry and eggs, sushi-grade salmon and tuna; they make their sausages in house.  sushi las condes cuarto centenarioThey are a local and sustainable butcher and fishmonger.  sumo sushi menu deerfield beachThe best part is they’re in my neighborhood.  sushi las condes tobuWhere there were only supermarket butchers before, McCall’s is a bright light. Lindy & Grundy, Local, Pastured & Organic Meats opened two weeks ago.  Owned by wife-and-wife team, Erika Nakamura and Ameila Posada, Lindy Grundy (as it’s affectionately called), only sells pastured and organic meats sourced within 150 miles. 

“Lindy” and “Grundy” are the women’s nicknames: Lindy is Posada aka the Shop Mama, and Grundy is Nakamura aka Meat Maven.  The Tokyo born Nakamura learned the butchering trade from Josh Applestone of Fleisher’s Grass-fed & Organic Meats, a sustainable butcher in upstate New York.  Posada, a native of the Los Angeles-area, oversees the day-to-day operation of the shop, and is also a food activist committed to teaching America how to eat.  Lindy Grundy practices nose-to-tail butchering, allowing them to use the whole animal which produces very little waste.  The small, family farms they source their meat and poultry from never use antibiotics or hormones, and the grass the animals eat is not treated with pesticides or herbicides.  In addition to the beef, pork, lamb and poultry they carry, they make their own sausages and charcuterie.  Because they only sell from whole animals running out of stock is always a possibility which happened in their first week of business. 

The anticipation in the community was such that they sold out of almost everything by the end of the first week.  This is not only a good sign, it’s a great one.  It speaks to the high-quality one can expect when shopping at Lindy & Grundy. Let’s hope that more butchers follow the McCall’s and Lindy & Grundy models.  Let’s also hope that more neighborhood butchers like these open soon. McCall’s Meat & Fish Co. Los Angeles, California, 90027 Lindy & Grundy, Local, Pastured & Organic Meats 801 North Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, California, 90046VOTED BEST IN WESTERN WASHINGTON 3 STRAIGHT YEARS2013, 2014, 2015 Trapper’s Sushi offers a restaurant where you can sample the best in traditional and modern sushi rolls. Our menu offers a great variety of over 28 long rolls, nigiri, and even non-sushi items. Our restaurants offer a family friendly atmosphere where you can enjoy a night out, or bring your closest friends and enjoy watching the game at the bar.

So come on in and enjoy some fresh and delicious sushi creations at Trapper’s Sushi. Trapper’s Sushi philosophy is simple, give the best service and best food possible. We are a family friendly restaurant and kids love coming to eat at Trapper’s Sushi. We want to make sure EVERY customer that comes in feels like they had a great time and the food was outstanding. Follow Us on Facebook, Twitter, & InstagramThis list is sporadically updated but should be reasonably current. Japanese food is getting more and more popular across the United States. Korean-oriented markets also carry a lot of Japanese food supplies. (Chinese markets do not necessarily carry Japanese food, though they may have some items.) Note that Amazon Groceries carries several Japanese food products.. Below is a reader-contributed list of brick-and-mortar Japanese grocery stores and stores selling food-related items in the United States. Don't forget to look through the comments also! Note that California and the New York-New Jersey - Connecticut areas have their own pages.

Bento fans should also check Where and how to buy bento boxes and equipment on our sister site, Just Bento. There are several Japanese markets in Hawaii, and regular supermarkets and convenience stores like 7-11 and ABC Stores also stock some Japanese-ish snacks and so on. (See Bento sightseeing in Hawaii) Other stores - listings to be added: Shirokiya, Don Quijote, Several Japanese bloggers living in Michigan mentioned they go to the Mitsuwa supermarket near Chicago (see Illinois listings). See also the NY-NJ-CT page. See below under Washington State/Oregon. The stores listed with web sites above will sometimes also have mail order services - check the individual listings. In addition, the following companies are primarily (or solely) mail order places, who ship only within the U.S.: Geographical bento suppliers list at Live Journal bentolunch community Is your favorite grocery store missing? Leave the details in the comments! (Once the info in a comment is incorporated into the main article, the comment will be deleted.)