you lose some, you win some

(pic source)

It has been just over a week in this new neighbourhood and although I'm really liking the area, I have to say I'm missing many of my favourite spots from my old neighbourhood. The gym over here isn't as nice and I'm a bit too far to go to my Friday noon-time yoga class. But there are many plusses to the new hood. One of them is The Village Butcher.

I've never really ordered meat from a butcher before, but when I heard that this place was just a few streets over from me, I knew I had to check it out. TVB sells only organic and naturally-raised meats, along with some other specialty food items like prepared meat pies, natural soda pop, and delicious mustards and spreads.

The first thing I noticed was how laid-back this place is. Butcher and owner Mark Ali is boisterous and super friendly to all of his clients and it's obvious he gets a lot of regulars because he calls each one of them by name as they get to their turn in line.

After eating out most nights this past week, I had a craving for some good 'ol meat and potatoes for dinner. I told Mark I was new to the whole butcher shop thing and that I wanted a piece of beef enough for two for dinner. Right away, he slid the glass back and pawed a 2-lb cut of prime rib and told me it would be perfect. As he wrapped it up, he told me how to cook it for a medium-rare roast "you can't go wrong with."

When I got up to the cash, there was a nice spread of baked goods to my left and at the back of the display I spotted some date squares; organic of course. While they weren't as good as my grandmother's, they were just what I needed for my three o'clock snack.

There's something about cooking a roast that is quite intimidating. You don't want it to be too dry, but you don't want it too red either. I left the roast in for a bit longer than Mark suggested and served it along-side some roasted parsnips and carrots and smashed potatoes. The verdict? M kept saying over and over how good it was and that it was as good as prime rib he would order in a restaurant. Each bite melted in our mouths -- a true testimate for buying organic/naturally-raised meat. It's a bit pricier than a regular cut that you'd get at the supermarket ($14/lb), but it is well worth it.