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Montreal's butcher shop scene has matured of late, thanks to the likes of Le Marchand Du Bourg, Boucherie Lawrence, Boucherie Dans La Côte, and Ça Va Barder!. As of next Thursday, June 11, a sleek new player, Boucherie Grinder, will enter the dry-aged, ethically-produced, carefully-sourced ranks. The Griffintown shop, which calls this heritage landmark home, is from Grinder, Hachoir, and Léa partners Jean‑François Corriveau and Léa D’Amboise. Both see the butcher shop as a complement to (and new supplier for) the three restaurants, as well as a chance to fill a vacancy in a neighbourhood in the throes of a feverish growth spurt.
For Grinder's head butcher, Charles Bizeul, the objective is to meet the needs of Griffintown's residents and offer a sophisticated, quality range of products at the same time. "We want to educate customers, not intimidate them," explains Bizeul, who trained at influential butcher shop Fleisher's in Brooklyn to prepare for the new gig (see photo below). Boucherie Grinder's dry-aged beef program (up to 90 days or, for custom orders, beyond) sources 1855 USDA Prime Black Angus, Canada AAA, and Quebec wagyu (on the menu at Grinder this Grand Prix weekend, with steakhouse cuts from the butcher shop soon to be a permanent fixture). Bizeul is also keen to experiment with "different aging processes we typically see in France."
Look for chickens, Cornish hens, pork, and lamb from the new butcher shop too—all from Quebec or Canada—plus an array of sauces, stocks, fine grocery products, breads, and, in future perhaps, cheeses. Boucherie Grinder will also offer prepared meals to go and, bonus, online sales and delivery.
Status: Boucherie Grinder, 1654 Notre-Dame Ouest, (514) 439-1130, open Tuesday to Sunday as of Thursday, June 11.
