Let’s Meat On The Avenue-A Real Crowd Pleaser
I visited Let’s Meat on the Avenue one week after the new butcher shop opened. Arriving a bit later than planned on a Saturday morning, I found Zena, who works at the butchery, busy behind the counter serving customers who filled the small storefront space formerly occupied by Cheesetique. “We ran out of products the first Saturday we were open, and had to close early” Zena wrote to me in an email. “We plan to increase our inventory so this doesn’t happen next weekend”, she continued.
Said crowds were keeping owner Steve Gatwick busy behind the scenes, cutting meats and restocking the large deli case in front. Gatwick, currently a Del Ray resident, came to the States by way of Australia and Great Britain. Gatward hopes to make his European-style butcher shop the neighborhood place to go for hormone and chemical free meat, cut to order. By the way, if you don’t see what you want in Gatward’s counter-just ask and he’ll see what he can do for you.
Among the products that Gatward carries are cuts of lamb and beef, chicken, nitrate free bacon, Wurst and Amish sausages. Large smoked dog bones sitting on a table in the front window seemed to mesmerize dogs and owners alike. Condiment, rubs and sauces are also sold.
On my visit, I picked up a couple of Amish sausages. I cooked a sage sausage as soon as we got home. Frank and I enjoyed it with yam hash browns and a farm fresh poached egg. Country sausage was milder and made even more delicious when I drizzled a little maple syrup over it. I would recomment both, and further endorse the Amish sausage with this photo:
If you would like to see how this dish is made, see my blog on Don Rockwell here.
Let’s Meat on the Avenue opens at 8 on Saturdays to catch the farmers market crowd just steps away. Be sure to go early to get the best selection-Gatward’s store is very popular already.
Let’s Meat on the Avenue
2403 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
