The Butcher That Cooks For You: Macelleria, Enmore

A butcher that is also happy to cook the steaks (and chicken and seafood) too at no extra charge? Macelleria is new to the scene in Enmore and serves up steaks cooked to order along with skewers, kebabs and sausages along with salads and drinks.

"Macarella? Macarena? Mamarella?" I stumble when they ask me where we are going for lunch today. "It's that meat place that looks like a butcher's," I explain. I have Sammie and Dear Readers Nat (Getfatwithnat) and Kate with me-we've just finished a quick shift at the Asylum Seeker's Resource Centre making and serving people lunch.

Macelleria, Italian for butcher shop is the latest outpost of the butcher slash eatery, the first branch being on Bondi Beach's Campbell Parade. The proposition is simple: all of the meat is displayed in a similar style to a butcher shop and you can either take it away to cook at home as you would from a butcher or you can have them cook it for you at no extra charge.

For non meat lovers there is also chicken and salmon to choose from as well as a range of seven salads and a vegetarian burger. Ordering is done at the counter. The only thing missing is a good sauce to go with the steak. There are bottled varieties on the table (rib sauce, mustard, ketchup, salt and pepper) but they're not the same as a well made sauce.

This post is actually made up of three visits to Macelleria, one with JY aka the Black Widow, one with a friend and readers and finally my last visit was one with Mr and Mrs Romance. And it's the last lot which is quite funny because their surname is Butcher so I was in fact bringing the Butchers to the butchers!

Enough joking, back to the food! I really do like Cape Grim Tasmanian grass fed beef. But thinking about it, I rarely order a t bone steak. Well it's not often on the menu although I do love bone. This isn't bad although it is a tad tough and I seem to have hit a few gristly bits. The coleslaw isn't bad but it does need a bit of pep to it.

There are a lot of burgers on the menu. Twelve to be exact with chicken schnitzel, vegetarian and beef options. Sammie orders the Rubino burger as she loves pastrami. There's a beef patty topped with thinly sliced pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, lettuce, pickles, tomato sauce and Russian dressing. The bun is also interesting, said to be made just for them it's a departure from the milk bun or brioche that is seen a lot in Sydney at the moment.

JY and I tried a couple of sausages, a duck and maple sausage and a Caribbean chicken sausage. The duck and maple tastes of dark duck meat and has a hint of sweetness while the Caribbean chicken needs a pep of chilli as we were hoping for a jerk chicken.

It's actually very possible to get a good meal here for a reasonable price, especially if you don't eat huge portions. On my final visit I went for a lighter meal with a beef skewer, lamb sausage and a freekah, raisin and chickpea salad. This is where I hit my sweet spot. The beef skewer has a wonderful marinade and the sausage is juicy and totally moreish. I almost wish I had ordered another. The salad is good too and is a filling, generous serve.

Oh and I should add the chips are rather good and seasoned with chicken salt!

So tell me Dear Reader, what do you think of this idea? Would you prefer to take things home yourself or do you prefer someone else to cook for you?

These meals were independently paid for.

Macelleria

73-75 Enmore Rd,Newtown NSW 2042
Phone: 02 9557 0465
Opened 7 days 12:00 PM Until Late
www.macelleria.com.au/