The Crested Duck-Your Local Butcher

The Urbanist Pittsburgh Guide has proven to be a useful resource for Michelle and me. We regularly read the Pittsburgh Magazine, the Pittsburgh City Paper, and other local publications to stay current on new restaurant and bar openings and local upcoming events. When reviewing the guide, we were very surprised to learn that there is a butcher just a few miles from our house that has been open for over a year. The Crested Duck Deli and Butcher Shop is an artisan meat market and deli where foodies can appreciate the art and skill of charcuterie. One Saturday afternoon Michelle and I stopped by for lunch and to pick up meats for our upcoming dinners.

The Crested Duck is located on Broadway Ave in Beechview. The location isn’t ideal as Broadway is a busy street with frequent rail travel and limited parking. The store is hidden by the protruding Moose Lodge sign, so it is very easy to overlook. Store hours are Monday through Friday 11:00am to 6:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm. The Crested Duck also has a location at the Pittsburgh Public Market and is open Friday through Sunday during market hours.

Upon entering you are welcomed by the aromatic smell of aged meats and cheeses. There is a rustic warmth in the deli with wooden tables and chairs and yellow and green walls. Though the meat hooks near the window are intended to be decorative, they reminded Michelle and me more of a bad slasher movie. On a wall there are shelves filled with a selection of spreads, crackers, and spices and in a nook there are baskets filled with a variety of different grains.

Behind the counter the meat and deli menus are written on large chalkboards. The Crested Duck has a large selection of meats such as elk, quail, beef, and lamb. The website is very helpful and provides detail about the meats, the different cuts, and the various ways it can be prepared. Try the charcuterie plate with a sample of meats and cheeses if you can't make up your mind for what to have.

After a busy morning, we decided to have a late lunch before ordering some meats for our meals. The deli menu is limited but includes signature and more traditional sandwiches. I ordered the caprese sandwich with mozzarella, basil, balsamic, tomato, and duck presciutto. Michelle asked the butcher what he recommended and he suggested the grilled cheese with smoked gouda and applewood bacon which he had also just made for himself. The sandwiches were freshly made and were light and clean yet flavorful. The crusty French baguettes added texture to the sandwiches but were not too hard.

Michelle and I really like the Crested Duck because of the array of foods and services that are available. It is important to know where your meat comes from but it is equally important to know how it is prepared. The Crested Duck offers monthly hands on butchery classes for rabbit, duck, lamb, pork, and chicken. The butcher also has a passion for cooking and hosts a monthly BYOB dinner with seating at 6:30pm and 8:30pm on the second Friday of every month.

Though parking can be troublesome, the location is convenient for us to pick-up meat for dinner or for a weekend lunch. The quality and price of the meats are competitive with other grocery stores in the city which is another incentive for us to shop there. We highly recommend shopping or dining at the Crested Duck to anyone in the South Hills area or is willing to make the trip. 

-Mark

Marty's Market-Organically Good

Over the years I have learned that grocery shopping can be a painful experience or painless experience (I prefer the latter). When you shop, where you shop, and how you shop can influence your plans and your mood for the rest of the day. Crowds, aisle conversationalists, and kiddy carts often result in me being very disgruntled.  Mark and I have developed a routine to tackling our weekly chore of shopping that has proven to be effective. We avoid stores during peak hours when the parking is limited, the aisles are crowded, and the checkout lines are long and we always shop prepared with a grocery list.

The quality and price of food are also important to us when grocery shopping. We are conscious of what we eat and prefer to buy organic, grain fed, and cage free foods at an affordable price. We aren’t health food extremists, but because we are getting older, we can’t eat like we did when we were in college (Ramen anyone?). We do most of our shopping at Trader Joe’s in the South Hills but we often have to go to the Uncommon Market and the Market District for items we can’t find. We like to buy local and shop at the Strip District and farmer’s market on occasion.

On February 23^rd, Mark and I attended the launch party for Urbanist Pittsburgh, a guide to local dining, shopping, nightlife, art, and more.  When we arrived the food had already been devoured so didn’t stay long but we did grab a couple of the guides before we left. Advertised in their guide is Marty’s Market, a new grocery store in the Strip District located at the former Right By Nature store. Marty’s Market has a café, bakery, charcuterie and cheese shop, and a market with organic, certified natural and locally sourced foods. Since it was my week to buy groceries, I unanimously decided that we do our shopping at Marty’s Market the following day.

We began our Marty’s Market experience with brunch at the café. The items on the menu were classic yet simple and were made with products located in the store. Mark had the hash with two fried eggs and kielbasa and house brewed coffee. I had French toast and fresh squeezed organic orange juice served with a complementary glass of champagne (A $3 mimosa!). The portion sizes were moderate and didn’t result in a self-induced food coma. We were both satisfied with the polite and swift service and the freshness of our meals. 

The store is organized and spacious with an abundance of natural light. The ceiling is high and the shelves are short so it doesn't feel like the food is hovering over you. If shopping at Market District is like driving through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel during rush hour traffic, shopping at Marty’s Market is like driving on a back country road. The layout is very intentional and it is evident that Marty’s Market cares about the food they sell.

Though we had a grocery list, we couldn’t help but peruse each aisle to appreciate the variety of specialty items the store carries such as Gracious Gourmet Spreads and Spoonable Brooklyn’s Saucy Caramel. We were thoroughly impressed when we found our favorite brand of potato chips, Tyrrell’s imported from England. There was also a wide array of hot sauces, barbecue sauces, and flavored olive oils. We were disappointed with the limited selection of spices though. We cook a lot of ethnic cuisines and spices are something we always need in the kitchen.

Mark and I spent most of our time at the charcuterie browsing the different cuts of meats. Marty’s Market offers a quality selection of local meats at very reasonable prices. The staff at the charcuterie is very knowledgeable and takes great pride in sharing where the meat comes from and how it is raised, but most importantly, how it tastes.  For our meals we picked up lamb, pork, chicken, and deli meats.

The charcuterie is truly the highlight of the store.

Most of the produce is neatly displayed on top of baskets filled with straw. There is a large selection of traditional produce such as apples, oranges and squashes as well as more exotic produce like star fruit. We were also pleased with the variety of greens, herbs and prepackaged salads available. Cremini mushrooms were on our list but unfortunately, they were out. Be wary of the fresh squeezed organic orange juice in this section. I grabbed a pint without checking the price and saw the cost was $11.99 when we got home. I nearly died!

Something lacking at Marty’s Market is a fresh seafood section. The only seafood available is frozen and the selection is very limited. Mark and I have seafood at least once week, so we have to go to another store to complete our grocery list. Luckily, Wholey has a large range of seafood and is just a couple of blocks away on Penn Ave.

Overall Mark and I love this store. We can’t get everything on our grocery list but we are happy with the quality of food and the total amount on the receipt. Marty’s Market is a great store for those that care about what they eat and are willing to pay a little more for better quality foods. We've been back since our first trip and it has become a part of our weekly shopping routine.

 -Michelle