“WE HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO COME IN AND THEY’LL SAY, ‘I WANT TO BE SERVED BY SO-AND-SO,’ AND THEY’LL WAIT FOR FIVE, 10 MINUTES UNTIL HE’S NOT BUSY, AND THEY’LL GET HIM TO CUT THEIR MEAT.” – Sam Totera
“I DO EVERYTHING, WHEREVER I’M NEEDED. THAT’S BASICALLY HOW IT WORKS WITH FAMILY BUSINESS.” - Ambrogio Loconte Ambrogio Loconte, butcher and employee at his family’s shop, Loconte Meat Market, prepares a hunk of meat for cutting.
ό Sam Totera, butcher and co-owner of Totera Fine Foods, is hard at work at his trade, slicing meat that he serves to his dedicated clientele. ϒ The counter at Totera Fine Foods offers more than just meat. These selections of cheeses and salads complement the preferences of this establishment’s discerning clientele.
But much like the butchers of the not-so-distant past, the Totera brothers have adapted to the shifting climate. In the good old days, buying a large hunk of meat and having it cut into smaller pieces to take home was the norm for regular clientele. You wouldn’t see them for a couple of months, Totera explains. Today’s shoppers, however, crave freshness. Patrons regularly visit, generally on a weekly basis, to ensure the food they serve family and friends is as fresh as possible. The hustle and bustle of today’s world has also fostered a market for ovenready products. From elegantly prepared mushroom caps and stuffed peppers, to a variety of kabobs, customers will find many in-house prepared items. They’re traditional creations, pulled from Totera’s mother’s recipe book, but taken to the next level. “Back in the day, it wasn’t as popular, but now I think because society’s getting to be very busy with both
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parents working, there’s a need for it,” Totera says. They’ve also heeded concerns for quality. More customers desire local produce, and the Totera brothers have listened. Carrying a variety of Mennonite-grown meat, including lamb and veal, as well as antibiotic-free pork, organic chicken and nitrate-free sausage, the pair meets the needs of conscious consumers. “A lot of children in the area can’t have any gluten,” Totera adds. “They need a lot of gluten-free products, so we cater to that.” The lively shop, which opened in 2007, also features a unique setup where butchers work behind glass – a transparent concept that keeps customers involved in the process. This openness continues to foster the atmosphere of olden times, when your butcher was a prominent community figure. “We take pride in that. We have
customers who come in and they’ll say, ‘I want to be served by so-and-so,’ and they’ll wait for five, 10 minutes until he’s not busy, and they’ll get him to cut their meat,” says Totera. “There are a lot of relationships here.” For summer get-togethers, Totera leans towards a premium cut of Angus steak, but many customers enjoy their lamb spiducci and porchetta. “The whole www.citylifemagazine.ca