The Butcher Shop is a South End mecca for meat. It's part of Barbara Lynch's restaurant group that takes in B&G Oysters which is right across the street. This is a wine bar and a full-service butcher shop with beef, game, poultry, sausages and hot dogs along with prepared dishes from the kitchen. Butchers are hacking away and we see Monday is the day to stop in if you're a vendor. It's busy and so cold you could hang meat in here.
We're partial to places that cook better than we can and make things we never do and it is a long list. Why have out what you can make at home? The menu designates lunch by the month so today you can have antipasti, charcuterie, terrines, cheeses, and lots of Italian meats but no fish or salad so be meat happy.
TBS burger, with the onions but without the Cheddar, is good. . . and $18. As New York goes, so goes the nation, I guess. It's medium rare on a sesame seed bun with a pickle hat and a green salad, which isn't mentioned on the menu.
I'm grateful since something's got to duel the house-cured bacon or maybe I need to move in to this house. The bartender's cute asking: "Do you need ketchup?" and I say, "I better not." We laugh and we're hoping I'm right and I am: so rich when it's straight from the butcher.
Julie starts with Adami Bosco di Gica, crisp with apple and peach notes and she's digging into the French bread. It's crunchy, paired with salted butter. For years, this is my taste test: if the salad and the bread are great, so follows the meal and it follows, all right. She's waiting for orecchiette with summer squash, zucchini and arugula pesto. It's big taste for small ears. Maybe someone rolled out this pasta earlier. Many a summer dish headed with homemade pasta, fresh greens and a heap of cheese is a home run. I wonder how soon our garden squash will be ready?
We wish there's room for blood orange cheesecake or ganache but no, so Julie has cappuccino which warms us up as we step out into the heat. Let's drink to bartenders who mix a coffee as well as a cocktail. We didn't get to their rustic French and Italian dishes like paté, terrine, cheese, sausage and charcuterie or the wine of the day.
Wine director Cat Silirie is partial to small batch wine makers and her specials are up on the blackboard. Monday and Tuesday summer evenings they pair burgers, crafty beers and house made hot dogs, also $18, starting at 4:30. On occasion, have a private cocktail or sit-down curated from start to finish in a candle-lit room overlooking Tremont Street and send me an invite, please.
The Butcher Shop
552 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02118
617. 423. 4800
Kitty Kaufman is a Boston writer at http://www.corp-edge.com.