The Meat House

If I could dream up the most perfect, amazing grocery store, I'm pretty sure it would come out looking exactly like The Meat House. Walking into this store puts me in a good mood, no matter how the rest of my day has been (ask JMC... sure, its kind of weird that I love a grocery store this much). If you have never been to The Meat House, you need to find the one closest to you and go there as soon as possible. If there is no Meat House near you, I am deeply and terribly sorry.

JMC and I both grew up in Charlotte (our parents live 3 minutes from each other), and the first time I ventured into food heaven was at the Blakeney location of the Meat House with my mom. Between the free samples and the OTT (over-the-top) selections of salsas, cheeses, breads and craft beers, I was hooked for good.

Luckily, when we got back to Chapel Hill, JMC and I saw that they were opening a location right near our favorite Mexican restaurant, Cinco de Mayo!

The Meat House is "your neighborhood butcher," except its a chain. Only its not your average, mediocre chain store. They carry the freshest meats that are soaked in marinades that will make your mouth water the minute you walk in the door. They don't just carry meat, either. You can basically do all of your grocery shopping there. They sell spices, breads, locally-grown produce, cheeses, salsas, dips, and a great selection of craft beer. They really try to cater their selection to the community they are in. For instance, they carry Maple View Farm's milk and ice cream at the Chapel Hill location, which is a dairy farm in nearby Hillsborough.

So anyway, where else but our favorite place ever would we stumble across only the most legendary man in UNC history? We met Dean Smith.

Now if you know anything about college basketball AT ALL, you should know who Dean Smith is. He is amazing and is easily in the top 5 people I would want to meet EVER. And, he told JMC I was pretty :).

Anyway, here are some suggestions on things to buy from there:

Steak Tips in just about any marinade (Meat House marinade is probably the best, but others are delicious too!)
GARLIC BREAD. I put this in all caps because it's THAT good.
At least try their balsamic/olive oil on bread. They have samples and it is literally the best balsamic I've ever had.

So, in summation, The Meat House is the best place ever.

Starting Off

I've been a huge fan of reading blogs for a while and have finally gotten around to starting one myself. Currently, I'm living and working in Chapel Hill after graduating from UNC in May. Much like many recent alums, I'm sure, I still have not quite figured out what I want to do with my life, so for right now I'm just trying to explore the things I really enjoy. In a basic sense, I want this blog to follow the adventures of my early-twenties while I explore "being a real person."

I plan on writing on many different subjects, mostly including two of my favorite things: shopping and food. Every once in a while I may throw in something out of the ordinary, it just depends on where life is taking me at that moment!

I like to think of myself as a pretty savvy shopper (although the b-friend will tell you differently, I'm sure). I don't particularly like to buy things that aren't on sale, unless they are staple items that aren't discounted very often (Jack Rogers are my weakness... I have 8 pairs of Navaho sandals). But anyway, there's not much I love more than a good sale, so I'll be sure to post when I find something worthwhile.

I love to cook and try out new recipes as much as possible. I'm currently working through a couple of cookbooks:


The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 7th Edition 








  


Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes 






 
 
  

The Big Book of Potluck 








When I'm too lazy or tired to go to the grocery store/throw something together, my boyfriend (from here on referred to as JMC) and I like to explore restaurants in the Chapel Hill/Durham/Raleigh area. We try to go to new places as much as possible (although a lot of the time we end up at the same few places... we're creatures of habit). I'll be sure to post recipes and meals that stand out.

Stay tuned for a few posts that are already in progress!