The Meat House Brings More than Beef to Town

There's a new butcher on the block.

Its name, appropriately, is the Meat House.

"We wanted a name that reflected exactly what we were," says Jason Parent, who co-founded the company in Portsmouth, NH with his friend Justin Rosberg.

Though, at this point, Parent admits the name may be deceiving, belying the varied  inventory that includes a bevy of pasta, jarred sauces, vegetables, quiche and more.  It seems the store may quickly become a favorite of those living in the Heights and beyond.

"We used to be about 80 percent meat, now we are at 65 percent," says Parent who added that the store's main appeal – beyond its gourmet selection – is its customer service. "That is what we pride ourselves on."

The store, locally owned by Peter Weissman, is coming into Arlington at a fortuitous time.  Because of movies like "Food, Inc.," books like "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and television shows like "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," people are more interested then ever in sourcing their food's origin, particularly their meats.   

Whenever possible, the Meat House sells locally produced goods.  They offer grass-fed, organic meats as well as locally raised poultry and prepared goods. 

The first Meat House opened in Portsmouth, NH in 2003.  Arlington is the 19^th store in the franchise, according to Parent and they are in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina and California. There are additional locations opening in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Texas in May.

"There really seems to have been a need for this," Parent says.

Officially, the store opened on April 26, but it did have a "soft opening" on April 25 that drew at least 500 patrons a number Parent calls, "very impressive."

"Hopefully, it is a sign of things to come," says Parent.

For Arlingtonians, a place to buy gourmet meat and prepared foods and deli meats is a welcome addition to the Heights. During their "soft" opening, the store was giving away marinated steak tips, a touch that drew a crowd and had many looking even more forward to summer grilling.

For more information, visit their website.