Village Butcher and Market in Star City brings us deli sandwiches, premium meats, and, soon, housemade sausage.
Photography by Robert Williams Media and Pam Kasey
Village Butcher and Market opened its doors for the first time last Saturday, putting an end to a recent parade of locals who just couldn’t wait.
“There were a lot of people, especially on this side of town, that said they drive by every day, anticipating, looking, waiting, excited,” says Anthony Straface, owner of the new deli, butcher shop, and market. “I sold out. It was a nice mix of family and friends and people that I had never seen before.”
Buzz has been building since Village Butcher and Market set up its Facebook page in April, tempting meat lovers with the description, “Locally owned and operated full-service butcher shop, deli, and market. Offering a wide range of premium meats, specialty sandwiches, and small plates.” Its very visible location in the new Glass Factory retail and office building on Star City’s main drag kept anticipation high.
Saturday was a soft open, with limited meat case and market items, and the beginning of a ramp-up. The menu of nine sandwiches that became available this week leans Italian, with the one named The Italian most popular so far: capicola, salami, mortadella, and provolone with lettuce, tomato, and oil and vinegar dressing on a demi-baguette. Sandwich breads include one from D’Annunzio’s in Clarksburg and a bun from BreadWorks in Pittsburgh.
Over the coming month, look for longer hours, the addition of beer and wine, and more sandwiches and salads, along with locally produced and premium specialty additions to the meat case. Straface suggests first-timers try the Wagyu ribeye—but then he thinks of the Wagyu hot dog, and he can’t decide. “It’s a quarter-pound hot dog, smoked, all beef—it’s out of this world.”
And soon, we can expect hanging meat—by fall, Straface hopes. “That takes time,” he says. “We’ll also be making our own house-made sausage and creating our own butcher blend of ground beef.”
Also starting in the fall, look for events like steak night, burger night, and charcuterie night.
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