Grand Opening of the Butcher at Westover Market

[chaofun]

Hey all,

I'm giving Bruce a hand with a few things while he gets things ramped up at the new shop in the Westover Market. As a lot of you all know the shop has been in soft open for a while now and tomorrow will be the grand opening. This morning we put a 410 pound pig (that b!tch was heavy) on the eco-friendly smoking rig. It was so big we had to cut off the trotters to allow it to fit on the smoker. Currently it's smoking out in front of the market and should for 24+ hours. The party starts at 2pm Saturday, June 4... come say hi pick up some pulled pork. Here is the address if you have never been:

5863 North Washington Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22205-2994

And here are some pics of the smoker and pig from this morning:

[SeanMike]

I picked up a ribeye from Westover market last weekend - darn it was delicious! I might have to swing by in a few hours...

[Skipper10]

Hey all,

I'm giving Bruce a hand with a few things while he gets things ramped up at the new shop in the Westover Market. As a lot of you all know the shop has been in soft open for a while now and tomorrow will be the grand opening. This morning we put a 410 pound pig (that b!tch was heavy) on the eco-friendly smoking rig. It was so big we had to cut off the trotters to allow it to fit on the smoker. Currently it's smoking out in front of the market and should for 24+ hours. The party starts at 2pm Saturday, June 4... come say hi pick up some pulled pork. Here is the address if you have never been:

5863 North Washington Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22205-2994

And here are some pics of the smoker and pig from this morning:

I stopped by the Westover Market this afternoon between 3 and 4PM. I figured out that it was way after lunch and well before dinner and the place would be empty. I was wrong.

Yes, I had the pig!!!! Eventually. Despite the hour, the line was long and kept getting longer at the deli counter. (Some people were not buying sandwiches for immediate consumption, but getting shredded pork to take home for dinner. There was no mention of the pig or prices on the blackboard that had prices listed for everything else inside the deli counter, that no one asked for, while I was in line. The adorable solo deli server had to recite pork menu and prices to each person in line). Once you got and paid for your sandwich there was a wait first for for the draft beer, I was delighted they had Doghead Fish, and then for a place to sit.

Despite my attempts, I was not able to see or take pictures of "the whole" pig on fire, but the meat I got in my sandwich was still warm, smoky and delicious. (I think with Bruce's meats Westover needs a real bakery. I agreed with those who said that a hamburger bun is not worthy of Bruce's butt. Bruce, meanwhile, was totally present. He was walking around here and there absolutely unperturbed, cool as a cucumber in a very clean, spotless white chef's jacket, gallantly taking care of little old ladies who could not find forks for their slaws. A couple standing behind me in line spoke to him briefly, and, as he started walking away one of them asked: " Will you be coming back, or should we make plans to see you some other time?" "Yeah!" replied Bruce nonchalantly and disappeared behind a heavy swinging door.

There was no line at the Butcher's counter, just a few people and a butcher chatting with them through an open sliding glass window. The meats looked mouthwatering, presented the way they used to do it in Europe,,with care, in "real" bowls and on "real" platters, not plastic, paper or aluminum, . (well, in my day, they did not have Satay type stuff in Europe, but meat, already on sticks at Westover looked pretty mouth watering). I very badly wanted the loose sausage for my Sunday's breakfast/brunch/lunch! I did not buy any because I was not going straight home and I did not have a cooler in my car, and did not know if Westover sells ice, but I will be back!