The Hawthorne Fred Meyer Meat Counter Has Got It Going On

The Lady shops a lot of places in the Portland, Oregon area but she now only buys fresh sausage from Greg at the Hawthorne Fred Meyer located on the corner of 39^th and Hawthorne in Southeast Portland.

If you haven’t been in this particular Fred Meyer… well, it’s time to make a trip to check it out. The store, originally built in 1939, underwent a major remodel last year and added a lot of specialty departments including a Sushi Train in the expanded upscale deli; a specialty cheese kiosk; a Moonstruck Chocolate Café; a produce department that boasts the largest organic selection in all of Portland (and that’s saying a lot); and recently a specialty Hot Dawg Bar was added in the deli area.

But it’s what’s happening over at the meat counter that sent The Man swooning and giving standing orders that the only sausage and bratwurst allowed at the manse are the handmade variety that Greg, the new meat manger, is turning out. (Even the Zenner’s Bratwurst, an up-till-now manse staple that The Man LOVES is on life-support…)

Greg took over a few weeks ago as the new meat manager and was given a long leash to experiment with product, especially the sausage and bratwurst that he makes fresh daily on the premises. Mark, the seafood manager, is getting in on the act as well, coming up with a couple of new combinations also.

Here’s a few The Lady has brought home:

Artichoke and Garlic Chicken Bratwurst. This was the first one she brought home and she didn’t tell The Man they were made with chicken (He’s a beef-kind-of-bratwurst guy…). He swooned and as you know, The Man only swoons when the food is really to his liking.

Spinach and Feta Bratwurst – another winner and another first for The Man. He doesn’t eat much feta. The Lady made these two ways; she served them with pasta and olive oil; she also chopped a couple of them up and put them in a quiche she made using Golden Glen Creamery Cheddars.

Raspberry Chipotle Sausage. This sausage has fresh raspberries, pork and a special spicy sauce that Greg created. The Lady thought this combination might be too hot for The Man but he thought they were great. He had his on a sandwich with a cranberry mustard and bam… he wanted more. The Lady sliced her share and sautéed it with Walla Walla Onion and a green bell pepper and olive oil. Another winning combination.

But this morning took the cake so to speak. She bought Greg and Mark’s latest creations: breakfast sausage: Denver Omelet Sausage and Blueberry Sausage.

The Denver Omelet Sausage had all the ingredients of the omelet minus the eggs.

The Blueberry Sausage had fresh blueberries, vanilla and cinnamon and chicken. (This one was Mark’s creation.)

She served them with French Toast that she stuffed with a cream cheese filling (see how she worked cheese into the meal… she’s good at that…). The cream cheese filling consisted of 8 ounces of cream cheese, a handful of chopped Georgia pecans, a few blueberries, and vanilla and Equal (hey, she tries to cut the calories when it’s realistic….)

Greg continues to try new combinations including some with cheese. One he made used Ilchester Beer Cheese. The cheese melted out of the sausage and collected in the pan. The flavor was extraordinary and The Lady used the cheese drippings to make a sauce for the fresh asparagus she served with the sausage. So even though it didn’t quite work perfectly; it tasted divine and made its own cheese sauce…

Greg’s adventure with sausage and bratwurst is turning The Man into a much more adventurous Foodie, an evolution The Lady and I enjoy watching… I guess you can teach an older, very distinguished dog new tricks…

It’s a new week at Hawthorne Fred Meyer and that means Greg will have at least a couple of new selections for The Lady to bring home.

I give Greg and Mark 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got) and I commend Fred Meyer for letting the guys be creative. If the manse is any indication… I’ll bet sales are soaring!!

Next time you are anywhere near the corner of 39^th and Hawthorne, stop in and visit the meat counter. Tell them that Portland’s Feline Foodie (that would be me) sent you… you won’t be sorry… and that’s a promise!! (BTW, the seafood counter is also awesome…). Some sausages may NOT be available except on week-ends. You might want to call before dropping by and ask what’s been made that day… 503 872 3300.