Where to Buy Meats

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Where to buy chicken feet

April 2013

Hi-- I'm looking for chicken FEET --forgive me all vegetarians & especially vegans. Other than the 'Local Butcher Shop' in Berkeley (which charges $ 4.00/lb do you know of a less expensive supplier of chicken feet? Please no supplier that raises their chickens/turkeys in a conventional--cruel-- manner. Have you seen a poultry person at a local farmer's market that might have chicken feet? I live off of bone soup..and the addition of chicken feet to the long, slow cooking adds needed collagen. If I could live without eating flesh, I would. My long-standing health problem is greatly helped by sipping on good quality bone broth/soup throughout the day. Thanks so much. KZ Roe

Long ago I saw a vendor selling chicken FEET(!) at the SF Ferry Building farmer's market. I have to say though, you're going to pay a premium for any 'local' product like that (Farmer's Market, etc.). I was going to suggest Chinatown, but I'm guessing those feet weren't raised in the best conditions... C

I bought them at Berkeley Bowl several years ago. Seemed very inexpensive although I was using them for a project, not for eating. Bought 2 for $1 - $1.50. brenna

Magnani's Poultry sells chicken feet. I don't know how much a lb. but I'm sure it is less that $4. Some of their chicken is organic, some free range or 'natural'. Address is 1576 Hopkins in Berkeley. Phone:510-528-6370. chicken lover

Are you brewing BONE broth for leaky gut, auto-immunity, etc. problems? I've found great chicken feet-- THE best thing for collagen. Are you interested in sharing a box of feet? They come from 'Mary's' free- range, humanely treated chickens & El Cerrito Natural Grocery's sells a 20 lb box for $43 ($2.15 lb). Once order is placed, they arrive fresh at EC, NOT frozen. So should be easy to divy up. Please email & let me know if you want l/2 the box, l/3 box or 5 lbs? BTW 'Local Butcher Shop' charges $4 per lb for chicken feet. THANKS to all who kindly emailed & offered suggestions about where to get chicken feet. Unfortunately all suggestions were for conventionally raised feet, which is understandable since primo, organic FEET are just now coming into vogue BTW: Yes, Berkeley Bowl West has chicken feet BUT they're from conventional chicken: I just spoke to the supplier: Petaluma Poultry. While PP has organic poultry this isn't an organic item.

Where to buy organic chickens from a local farm?

Aug 2009

Hi, Does anybody know where we can buy organic chickens from a small, local chicken farm? We live in North Oakland. Thank you. Susanne

We have loved the chicken from Magnani's for many years. They are just up the street from Monterey Market, on Hopkins, in Berkeley. kl

Try Three Stone Hearth - a new place on University Ave. just North of Sacramento. You must order in advance, but they sell half chickens which are organic, grass fed, and local. They also make food which you can order for pick up on a weekly basis and all ingredients are organic, local and sustainably grown. Check out their website at threestonehearth.com a happy customer

Organic hot dogs with no nitrites

March 2009

Some time ago, there was a vendor selling grass-fed, no antibiotics, nitrate/nitrite free hot dogs at Crissy Field in SF. She was just starting her business... Haven't seen her there.. Anyone know where to get ''healthy'' hot dogs - organic, etc? Thanks. looking for healthy hot dog

Try Niman Ranch hot dogs! They sell them at Trader Joe's, Andronico's, and I'm sure others. They support small farmers who treat their animals humanely and are strong proponents of the environment. You can't go wrong! Jackie

Hi there.....I was just at Crissy Field approx. 2 wkends ago and saw the hotdog lady/business there....by the gift shop. You might want to try Berk. or El Cerrito Natural Grocery for nitrate free hot dogs.....or even T.J's (not sure??). Good luck.... anon

Planet Organics www.planetorganics.com carries several brands:
- Let's be Frank - local from Marin - not organic but 100% grass fed beef, uncured, low-salt
- Organic Prarie beef (not local, but it is organic)
- Sonoma Sausage hotdogs (local from Marin, not organic, but no antibiotics, no hormones, no nitrates, etc.)
I've tried the Let's be Frank dogs and they are tasty. Ginger

We like ''Smart Dogs''....made from tofu....definitely no nitrites. elizabeth

Where to buy organic lamb & chicken

Feb 2009

Looking for place or brand that has organic lamb and chicken near Piedmont/Oakland that is fresh, flavorful and does not cost an arm and leg. Thanks maisy

Trader Joe's has whole organic chickens for a decent price. Berkeley Bowl is another good place to find meat, and I'm sure they have organic chicken, at least. dawn

Magnani's on Hopkins, near Monterey Market. We especially love their roasted chickens for a quick meal. They will cut them up for you. Then we grab a loaf of artisan bread at the bakery, some salad at Monterey Market, and we are good to go. kl

Try El Cerrito Natural Foods, they have a great selection of organic meats, many have competitive prices to trader joes. anon

Cruelty-free Meats

March 2003

My family is beginning to add meat back into our diet, after years of being vegetarians. We became vegetarians for many reasons, and the only one that is still in force for me personally is the issue of cruelty. (Okay, health, too, in the ''hormones and antibiotics'' sense.) Ideally, I'd like to find a source for meat, including poultry, lamb or mutton, and perhaps beef, that is not only raised without harmful additives, but in the case of beef, is grass-fed only, not finished on grain. But wait, that's not all. Ideally, I'd also like the slaughter process to have been/be as cruelty-free, and disease-free as possible. No factory slaughterhouses, in other words. Am I being wildly naive to think that somewhere out there is the equivalent of the old farm neighbor who would sell a complete butchered animal? I know I can purchase organically grown meat at many local stores, but I'm curious about the slaughter and packaging processes also. Thanks! stefani

The best you'll probably find for meats is niman ranch. Here's where yoiu can find info onthe products and get home delivery along with delivery of organic produce (I'm in no way affiliated with either company) http://www.planetorganics.com/about/niman.asp

Try Niman Ranch products. I don't know about the slaughter process in particular, but the company says that all their animals are raised in accordance with strict husbandry standards, which includes humane treatment and only natural feeds. The website (www.nimanranch.com) says that they offer farm and ranch tours so you could see for yourself if they meet your criteria. Their products are widely available at stores and restaurants throughout the Bay Area. Stephanie

Meat Free of Hormones and Antibiotics

2001

Does anyone know where can I get meat without hormones or antibiotics fresh fish The only place I found them is Andronicos which is great but so expensive. Thanks for what you can do. Laurent

Both Magnani (Hopkins near Monterey) and Berkeley Bowl meats sell meat without hormones or antibiotics. I don't know how their prices compare to Andronicos but they're definitely a lot cheaper than Whole Foods.

My guess is that any wild-caught (as opposed to farm-raised) fish would be free of hormones and antibiotics. You can ask the fish seller at both Berkeley Bowl Seafood and Monterey Fish (Hopkins near Montery) and they'll tell you how a given fish was raised or caught. Fran

Berkeley Bowl has all kindds of meat without hormones or antibiotics (also their Deli section has nitrate free turkey breast). El Cerrito Natural Grocery on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito has a meat counter inside (Armands meats). Berkeley Bowl has better prices then El Cerrito Nat. and a larger selection. June

Webvan carries meat from Niman Ranch, which raises beef, lamb, and pork using natural feed (with no animal by-products or waste), no growth hormones or antibiotics and allows the animals to roam freely on the land. Webvan also carries Fulton Valley range chicken. Both these cost more than the non-free-range but not only are they additive-free, I have found they are much more tender and tasty. Ginger

You might try either Wild Oats on University (Berkeley) or any of the Whole Foods around the Bay Area. Both of them are health food supermarket chains, and while they might not be much cheaper than Andronico's, I doubt that they could be more. Melanie

Naturally-raised meats are considerably more expensive than their conventionally-raised counterparts, although many people simply accept that extra expense and perhaps eat less meat overall to counterbalance. In my experience, chicken is the most widely available naturally-raised meat. Whole Foods carries naturally raised beef, pork, lamb etc., but, like Andronico's, at a substantial premium. You might also try VerBrugge's butcher shop on College Avenue between Claremont and Alcatraz. Some of their meats are conventionally-raised, but many are not, their prices are as good as anyone's and they are terrific in terms of customer service. For fish, the Berkeley Bowl's fish market is my favorite. Wendy

Magninis Meat market on Hopkins near Monterey Market in Berkeley, Wild Oats on University east of Sacramento, and there's a meat market at Cafe Rouge on Fourth St, just north of University, Ocean View area of Berkeley, right next to the Pasta Shop. ( You'll pay heartily for the very best, Niemann Schell organic meats.) Whole Foods at Ashby and Telegraph has a large counter, Berkeley Natural Foods on Gilman has a small selection. El Cerrito Natural Foods on San Pablo is a good place. Then there are always those damned Racoons that plague our yards. Good Luck. DNA4IM