AS Pork Store closing?

found this on Gowanus Lounge. haven't seen it mentioned here yet...

http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2008/07/14/park-slope-losing-last-butcher-shop-as-pork-may-be-smoked/#comment-7321

there are some neighborhood places which have closed that have meant a lot to others, but not to me, and vice versa. i'd greatly miss A&S if they were truly gone.

they have good cuts of meat but boy are they pricey!!!

OH, no!!! I will be so, so sad. They are so lovely.

That would be truly awful. I love that place.

That really sucks. I always see the firemen getting sandwiches there. '
There sausage is good and they have wonderful bread.
Let's hope they can find a new place not too far away.

great fresh mozz too. just picked some up there yesterday...

so it ain't so - although, to tell you the truth, my no-pork-eating-wife is going to be a lot more distraught over the closing of Lucia (next door to A&S) if that's true.

geez. well i guess we could use another bank.

/snark

luckily for our commercial strips, i don't think too many banks are looking to expand right now...

belzjm wrote: luckily for our commercial strips, i don't think too many banks are looking to expand right now...

But ATM fees are one of their big moneymakers.

Oh no! Don't we need a butcher shop here in the Slope? I love that place-it's the only place I buy meat from!

So what is with me? Perhaps I just don't eat all that much meat product..but I could care less that this store is closing. For 5 seconds I could get in to the nostaglia.."I don't wan't any of the old stores closing" cause this means the OTHERS take over the Slope. But, the reality is I have lived here close to 30 years and have shopped there perhaps 3 times and that was over a decade ago.

Now I do bemoan with nostalgia the passing of Pollio's and shun it's over-priced and mediocre re-incarnation in its new location. Now that new location is at least 3 years old. The one time I went in there and ordered afew things for my own personal lunch..no sharing.. the guy added up the bill and actually said.. geez.. that is a lot of money! yeah no kidding!! That was the last time I went in there.

A&S is one of the contributors to 5th Avenue's popularity. The owner opened Cucina, who in turn hired Chef Michael Ayoub. Combined with 200 5th Ave's popularity we know how the story goes from there.

What surprised me in the article is the owners of A&S don't own the building they're in. I thought they did. Live and learn.

As for butchers there's still the Western place on 8th Street and 5th Ave. They used to own Berkeley Meats.

didn't I read on here somewhere that western had closed?

Idlewild wrote: A&S is one of the contributors to 5th Avenue's popularity. The owner opened Cucina, who in turn hired Chef Michael Ayoub. Combined with 200 5th Ave's popularity we know how the story goes from there.

What surprised me in the article is the owners of A&S don't own the building they're in. I thought they did. Live and learn.

As for butchers there's still the Western place on 8th Street and 5th Ave. They used to own Berkeley Meats.

The butcher on 8th & 5th has been closed for a month-I only shopped there a few times, i didn't like their meat at all. But, A&S i shop at at least once per week. We were also surprised to hear they didn't own the building, I thought all the older stores owned their buildings.

Veets, very shocked to hear you once again say that about Pollio-I still go there, still love the food and still find the portions and prices marvelous-you must have had a bad day there.

LongTimeSloper.. You have a good memory!
In part it is connected to there being so many food options in the Slope. You try a restaurant; (or a take out place) it isn't great and you cross it off the list. That is why I haven't been back to Pollio. Perhaps I shold give it another try.

So-now for a butcher shop, I will be going to Windsor Terrace I guess.

I know there is a butcher at Union market-what are their meats like?

LongTimeSloper wrote: So-now for a butcher shop, I will be going to Windsor Terrace I guess.

I know there is a butcher at Union market-what are their meats like?

Expensive but good.

LongTimeSloper wrote: [quote=Idlewild]A&S is one of the contributors to 5th Avenue's popularity. The owner opened Cucina, who in turn hired Chef Michael Ayoub. Combined with 200 5th Ave's popularity we know how the story goes from there.

What surprised me in the article is the owners of A&S don't own the building they're in. I thought they did. Live and learn.

As for butchers there's still the Western place on 8th Street and 5th Ave. They used to own Berkeley Meats.

The butcher on 8th & 5th has been closed for a month-I only shopped there a few times, i didn't like their meat at all. But, A&S i shop at at least once per week. We were also surprised to hear they didn't own the building, I thought all the older stores owned their buildings.

Veets, very shocked to hear you once again say that about Pollio-I still go there, still love the food and still find the portions and prices marvelous-you must have had a bad day there.

I had no idea they we closed at all. First Lehigh, then Liberty, Berkeley and now Western....I guess the PSFC and Farmer's Market is it. I don't like Union Market so I won't count them.

That's too bad...I worry Pollio might be next. It will be the last Italian deli on 5th Ave.

Guess it's Los Paisano's on Smith when I need good, organically grown meats.

Eagle Market has great meat, but they're all the way over on 20th St and 5th Ave

Just out of curiosity, does anyone else buy meat from Fresh Direct and/or Fairway? I have been quite satisfied with both.

booklaw wrote: Just out of curiosity, does anyone else buy meat from Fresh Direct and/or Fairway? I have been quite satisfied with both.

I get meat and fish from freshdirect. I buy whatever they put on sale each week. I started to do it after seeing how disgusting the meat cases in the local grocery store were. I think it's fine, but I'm not obsessed with freshly butchered meat as I throw most of it in the freezer (not the fish - I'm not that bad). The best tasting meat I eat comes frozen solid from Omaha Steaks anyway.

I will miss being able to go to A&S for homemade mozzarella. They would also make up a batch of sausage meat to order with less fat and extra fennel.

tajmb wrote: [quote=booklaw]Just out of curiosity, does anyone else buy meat from Fresh Direct and/or Fairway? I have been quite satisfied with both.

I get meat and fish from freshdirect. I buy whatever they put on sale each week. I started to do it after seeing how disgusting the meat cases in the local grocery store were. I think it's fine, but I'm not obsessed with freshly butchered meat as I throw most of it in the freezer (not the fish - I'm not that bad). The best tasting meat I eat comes frozen solid from Omaha Steaks anyway.

I will miss being able to go to A&S for homemade mozzarella. They would also make up a batch of sausage meat to order with less fat and extra fennel.
At least you can still get some superb homemade mozzerella at Russo's on 7th.

Carnivore wrote:
At least you can still get some superb homemade mozzerella at Russo's on 7th.

good tip. thanks.

here's a good question: does anyone know where i can get nice cuts of buffalo? seems like the only thing i can find is the ground stuff.

i became obsessed with buffalo when i was in the Southwest last year.

J0518 wrote: [quote=Carnivore]
At least you can still get some superb homemade mozzerella at Russo's on 7th.

good tip. thanks.

here's a good question: does anyone know where i can get nice cuts of buffalo? seems like the only thing i can find is the ground stuff.

i became obsessed with buffalo when i was in the Southwest last year.

I believe the Farmer's Market has them as well as that butcher on Court St. by Baltic(?). Btw, the best homemade in NYC mootzarella is at Caputo's on Court & 4th Pl. and Casa Della Mozzarella on E.187th St.in the Bronx. The overall winner being Claudio's in Philly which will be part of NYC within the next ten years for the elbow room.

I never shopped there, mainly because it was so pricey.

I'm pretty sure Los Paisano's on Smith and Bergen has buffalo...if not they'll order it for you. I wish we had something like that butcher in the Slope.

I've always found Russo's mozz a little flavorless...that's just me. But their fresh pasta makes up for it.

Idlewild wrote: Btw, the best homemade in NYC mootzarella is at Caputo's on Court & 4th Pl. and Casa Della Mozzarella on E.187th St.in the Bronx. The overall winner being Claudio's in Philly which will be part of NYC within the next ten years for the elbow room.

Joe's Dairy on Bleeker also has great mozzerella.

Geddouddaheeya witcha Philly!

pastoralia wrote: I'm pretty sure Los Paisano's on Smith and Bergen has buffalo...if not they'll order it for you. I wish we had something like that butcher in the Slope.

I've always found Russo's mozz a little flavorless...that's just me. But their fresh pasta makes up for it.

Maybe you got the low salt one?

In my experience best to get the unsalted Mozz and add a little salt when you eat it. the texture of the cheese always seems better to me unsalted.
Just my own expert opinion!