lindy & grundy query

[linus]

has anybody been to this butcher shop on fairfax yet?
any reports?
comparisons to other butcher shops in the los angeles area?
inquiring minds want to know.

thanks.

[carln]

its just a different butcher shop experience. We have all gotten used to going to the store and finding anything we want and as much of it as we want...and thats not what this is. They get a few animals in a week and so thats all that they are working with. I think that people should stop thinking of it as a place to go and see what they have and rather start thinking of it as a resource through which you can order whatever you want ahead of time. You will never be able to walk in and buy 8 racks of ribs because the pig they just broked down only had 2.

[bulavinaka]

>>You will never be able to walk in and buy 8 racks of ribs because the pig they just broked down only had 2.<<

Ahh - you're bursting my bubble - thought all them piggies were born wearing styrofoam trays all over their bodies and drank mop sauce so they could self-baste themselves from the inside. :) Well said, carln.

[Servorg]

"...and drank mop sauce so they could self-baste themselves from the inside."

That's okay. I do all the necessary basting using my own internal stomach secret sauces. ;-D>

[Phurstluv]

Exactly, carln hit the nail on the head. And I'm sure if they do become popular enough, maybe they will have two pigs to break down, and hopefully I'll beat you to the store to pick up those racks and shoulders!!! ;p)

[goodhealthgourmet]

the place *just* opened. instead of writing them off already because they haven't worked out the kinks yet, i think we should give them a chance to find their groove. we generally give new restaurants a break the first few months they're open, and i think retail purveyors like this deserve the same leeway. but if they're still short on stock and running out of everything 3 months from now, that's a different story....

[trojans]

Agreed but a million tweets and multiple articles about how great they are tends to raise the bar. What? they didn't know to plan for people wanting to check them out?

[goodhealthgourmet]

i don't disagree with you, but even the best-laid plans...

there's also the issue of their suppliers, who may not have had enough product to meet the demand. i'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now, so i'll wait a month or two before i head over to check them out. hopefully they'll have their ducks in a row by then.

[bulavinaka]

Great advice, GHG. Running a business - particularly a new one - has complexities that most seem to not know about, overlook or disregard. This is such a specialized business that is breaking new ground in an urban area. If they were located in Marin, not such a problem. Sourcing and delivery wouldn't be such an issue. Two passionate folks striking out in a new direction - probably with a limited amount of cashflow - being on Fairfax with no farms or ranches (that fit their philosophy on top of that) within any reasonable distance, developing relationships and gaining trust with farmers and ranchers, figuring out the proper amounts of product to order versus their cashflow, overhead, etc., etc., etc. The stories that one hears from finance professors, accountants, bookkeepers, and bankers about the hurdles that new small businesses - particularly in the specialty food business - would probably deter most from even thinking about opening a small business like this.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yeah, i was speaking from experience. several years ago i got the opportunity to cater breakfast, lunch & snacks for a movie set. it was a short-term thing as they were doing re-shoots and only expected to be working for a couple of weeks. i was one of several vendors, so the first order was pretty small and i was scheduled to cater every 2 or 3 days - pretty easy for me to do in my condo kitchen.

of course i have confidence in my skills and products so i figured my food would go over well. but i DIDN'T expect them to come back to me with the news that everything was such a hit they wanted me to *triple* the original amount...oh, and could i do it EVERY day? ack! plus one of the exec producers loved my granola so much he requested an extra 2 pounds per week to take home to his family.

fast forward to me in my little kitchen with one double oven and a standard fridge/freezer, logging nearly 18 hours a day trying to crank out all these baked goods and prepared foods, package everything up, deliver it, restock ingredients...it just about did me in. fortunately it was a short-term gig because i wouldn't have been able to sustain that pace for very long...but my ego/pride kept me from simply telling them that i couldn't do it.

[bulavinaka]

Wishing for astronomical growth is the average small business's dream until they experience the nightmares that it causes. Great and telling personal experience on your part. And about that granola... ;)

[goodhealthgourmet]

And about that granola... ;)
~~~~~~~~~~~
trust me, when i find a way to get *any* of my products on the market, my fellow Hounds will be among the very first to know...and if perchance we have an LA meetup one of these days, i just might show up with treats ;)

[Phurstluv]

Know exactly what you mean, ghg. People do not realize how much work, physical hard labor, it takes to cater events like that. They simply don't have any clue. And I do the same thing every Lenten season, by putting on a soup supper every Friday for my Church, but I never know how many people will show up, so estimating quantities is really something that can only come through experience.

Let me know when you plan to visit the shop, I'd love to meet you there and we can swap some Chow stories!!

[goodhealthgourmet]

love that idea! i'll definitely let you know.

[rezpeni]

Just echoing the others here, they really need to get their ordering figured out so they actually have a stocked store. Have been there twice and there has been practically nothing in their cases. In the meantime I am going to McCalls.

[Phurstluv]

It seems to me they are just getting started, and are still newbies at running a market. They've only been open for 2 weeks, and also seem particular about their farms, so it doesn't deter me that they have small quantities. And I have backup meat markets to go to if they don't have what I'm looking for, like veal.

[rezpeni]

Small quantities is fine, but no quantities? If I'm coming in it's to buy something, philosophies aside. I do hope they can get it together, would def like to have more options around.

[Phurstluv]

Simple solution : call first.

I don't always go in a shop with a plan to buy something specific, I like to look at the products first, and then get inspiration as to what I can do with them.

[rezpeni]

I like to be inspired by the products too so it's a little unrealistic to call and ask for a rundown of everything in the store. Anyway I'll check back in a couple months.

[Phurstluv]

I meant to call and inquire if you were shopping for something specific.

[Phurstluv]

YES. I went last Friday. It's a small but immaculate shop. I spoke with both of the women extensively. They were sold out of chicken, which was okay since I was getting beef & pork. The homemade sausages I bought were delicious, as was the 4# pork sirloin roast I bought and made last Sunday.

Calling first would probably be your best bet if you are looking for something specific. And if you follow them on Twitter, they tell you what they have and what deliveries they are expecting.
They will take special orders and are working on having a delivery service in the next few months.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, thanks for the twitter advice! You still need to tell me the name of the butcher that you got the Kimchi sausage from;o)

[Phurstluv]

It's them, silly goose, I got it from Lindy & Grundy and apparently they had made some more this weekend. I couldn't go this Friday as I had planned, so now I have to call them to order my Easter lamb.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Phurst, I hadn't read your description of the butchers in the other thread. So funny, I thought you were holding out on me with your secret little butcher in KTown...lol. The kimchi makes sense since one of L&G is Asian...

I'm going to have to go soon and check them out. How is parking?

[Phurstluv]

LMAO!!! Too funny, yeah, I'm holding out on you!!!

Believe it or not, in this crazy town, they have a parking structure just behind them for the whole building, and it's FREE!!! I know, hard to believe, isn't it??

And i got there when they just opened, (11 am) on a Friday, so there was also plenty of street parking, albeit metered. But the structure behind them was almost empty, so, no need to pay the city at the meters!!

Who knows, maybe we can meet up there sometime!! We're bound to be there at the same time, eventually!! I really think you will like them, even if their cases are half full. I'm sure you will find something worth buying, and that roast I made from them was wonderful so I am willing to drive from the westside to shop there. And they said they will be doing deliveries in the next few months. How awesome would that be?!

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

That's great about the parking!

I think I will wait a couple more weeks before I go. I really want to try their chicken, some sort of roast and steaks and sausages and I can go on and on!

[chez cherie]

No beef or chicken til Monday. Butchering pork now. Cases pretty empty, except some ground pork ($6.99) andouille sausages and cheese. Got some pork chops fresh off the beast ($11.99 lb) some andouille (10.99 lb)and rillettes (15 a crock) and a tiny pack of frozen bork-- ground beef with bacon. Fingers crossed! Also asked about caul fat, which they said they don't have and won't be getting. The only other customer in the store wanted Pig spleen, which they also didn't have. I think I will give them a month or so to get into the groove before I venture back.
With the grilling weather upon us, there may be a
lot of disappointed carnivores visiting the shop this weekend...

[Phurstluv]

I was actually planning to go today, but got deterred by other pressing matters. Glad I didn't make the trip from the westside. I was hoping to order some lamb for Easter. Guess I will call them first.

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Chez Cherie, what are you going to do with the bork? It sounds like a delicious combo!

[chez cherie]

it's a pretty little package--probably 2/3 lb. might stuff some grilled red onions with it? or maybe bork sliders with bacon jam and freshly made pickles?

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

Yum, both of those sound great! I may have to try to grind some of my own bork :o) Just have to figure out the ratio;o)

[bad nono]

How big a crock, the rillettes? Because last week I made about 2 lbs for $6 with a pork shoulder and pork fat from Marconda. So far, everything I see from Lindy & Grundy doesn't make me want to switch allegiance from Marconda, even if theirs isn't not organic/locally raised, etc.

[vinosnob]

This is a great review that includes pricing on a number of items.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-wes...

[Servorg]

Place link (with website)

-----
Lindy & Grundy Meats
801 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

[trojans]

I went yesterday they were sold out of nearly everything save ground beef and some six week dry aged steak at $42.00/lbs. I'll reserve final judgment but so far it just seems too trendy and pretentious with all the hoopla.

[chez cherie]

hmmm. i thought they were getting a big shipment of meat yesterday. uh oh. perhaps they hadn't had time to break everything down by the time you were there...it's a considerable drive for me. guess i'll call first.

[chez cherie]

i plan to go today. will report back. if i make it.