I love traveling and I love running across people who really “get it” when it comes to food, eating and drinking.
Last week I was introduced to the owner of the Belmont Butchery, Tanya Cauthen with her wine buyer Brad Hemp, as well as the saucisson master, Chris Mattera. This is a three year old butchery in Richmond, VA and if you are staying, live there or just passing through you must stop in and check out the joint, grab some meats and a bottle of wine. Their hospitality is unrivaled, the sausage and bacon is divine and they have a secret weapon behind the shop…an urban garden.
For city dwellers that think all farming is done out in the pastures far away from the bright lights think again. An urban farming renaissance is sweeping quietly through America, and the more I ask, the more I see this happening in all four corners of our beautiful country. I’m an optimist at heart and it fills me with great pleasure and pride to see Americans taking hold of backyards, abandoned lots, next door neighbors ratty tat overgrown lawns and converting these into sustainable urban gardens that are yielding delicious, high quality, sometimes organic produce year round.
This is exactly what Tanya and her boyfriend Henry Reidy did… (btw, who owns a fantastic bottle shop called Strawberry Street Vineyard)… they took over an abandoned lot behind the Butchery and are growing produce such as corn to herbs to heirloom tomatoes. It was the most delicious sandwich I’d eaten all week as we tasted wines in the store. Just smoked sausage, still warm and oozing deliciousness, wrapped in hand ripped baguette with a spread of brown seeded mustard, finished with backyard heirloom tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella and shredded basil. I say put a fork in me, I’m done!
Congratulations Tanya on creating a truly memorable and unique butchery. Visit their site: http://belmontbutchery.com/ and stop in next time you’re in Richmond.
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