A Real Meat Market

I recently needed some major hunks of meat for an article I'm working on about how easy it is to grill said hunks for a crowd. I could have called and ordered them from New Seasons, or called around trying to find what I needed, but since time was short I decided to head out to Gartner's Meats on NE Killingsworth, sure that they'd be able to fill the order.

From the outside this place looks extremely unimpressive, but the parking lot full of manly "rigs" hints at the delights to be found within. And once you step inside, the fifty-foot-long case filled with every cut of meat from pretty much any farm-raised animal you can name tells you that these guys are serious about their protein.

They also have all sorts of cured products from ham and bacon to fresh sausages, as well as German-style smoked meats that come from recipes that founder Jack Gartner's father Hans, trained as a master sausage maker, brought over with him from Germany.

Refreshingly old-fashioned and simple, this is a meat market our grandparents would recognize, with the folks behind the counter offering advice about cooking techniques and discussing the latest box scores. With great prices and a selection that beats any other butcher shop in town hands-down, it's worth a trip the next time you have a meat craving.

Details: Gartner's Meats, 7450 NE Killingsworth. Phone 503-252-7801.