The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker By Erica Sagon Inspired by the nursery rhyme, we sought out the people who make it come to life in Indianapolis: a longtime butcher, a German bread baker and, yes, even a candle maker who is moved by food. Here, they share thoughts on their crafts, memorable summer meals and favorite spots to dine out.
THE BUTCHER For Dave Rollins, nothing beats a steak grilled over charcoal in the summer. There’s no question where it comes from: Kincaid’s Meat Shop, the family business since his grandfather opened its doors in 1921. Today, Rollins and his wife, Vicki, own the traditional-style shop with a red awning at 56th and Illinois streets. Inside, butchers wearing red aprons use techniques passed down through three generations. Rollins was about 17 years old when he began working for his father at Kincaid’s. He washed dishes and mopped floors before picking up the family trade. “I learned from the old guys who were in their 70s,” Rollins says. “They took me under their wing.” Today, Kincaid’s offers full lines of USDA prime and choice cuts of beef, plus sausage, rabbit, veal and wild game like elk. Lamb, buffalo, chicken and some beef come from Indiana farms. During the winter holidays, customers come in for crown roasts, boneless stuffed Cornish game hen and hand-tied turkducken—that’s a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey. Rollins says summer meals at his Noblesville home typically call for firing up the grill and preparing a couple sides without recipes. “We still live on the farm, so we’re meat-and-potatoes kind of people,” Rollins says. “There’s nothing like some mashed potatoes and green beans out of the garden.” Dave Rollins was a teenager when he started working at Kincaid’s, his grandfather’s business. Now, Rollins owns the meat shop. Photo by Liz Nicol.
Preferred cut of beef: Filet mignon, medium to medium rare. Favorite place to dine out: Joseph Decuis, the restaurant in Roanoke that sources many of its ingredients from its own farm. It’s one of the few places where Rollins will order steak—the proprietors raise Wagyu cattle, which yields superbly marbled beef. Best holiday in terms of food: Christmas, with a USDA prime standing rib roast, cooked medium rare. Indy food scene: “It’s changing; it’s growing. We work with a lot of chefs … and we’re seeing a larger variety (of requests). People are branching into lamb, veal and buffalo,” he says. Details: 5606 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis; 317-255-5497; lekincaidmeats.com
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