Libbie Market
400 Libbie Avenue
Richmond, VA 23226Telephone (804) 285-6414
The Libbie Market is a very good place to buy steak. I used to live very quietly and happily just a block
away on the other side of Grove Avenue, a stone's throw from St.
Stephen's Church. My opinion is thatLibbie Market is a wonderful addition to
the neighborhood. My opinion is that you will probably find better meat at Libbie Market than at Tom Leonard's. And the service is better.
Staff seems friendlier too. Also, the lamb chops are a continuous temptation. And the Italian sausage. But mostly I go there for the top choice Angus beef. I brought home a lovely piece of top round last week -- $4.99 a pound -- a solid three inches thick, well trimmed, Ten Dollars. And tender? Man, this may have been the best piece of top round I've ever had. Certainly it's the best since I last bought meat at Tom's in Burbank, California. Tom's had a great top choice tri-tip, too. Libbie Market does not cut much tri-tip -- yet. If enough like-minded grillers here in Richmond ask for tri-tip, we can hope that the butchers at Libbie Market may be happy to oblige us by stocking some in the case. The Libbie Market butchers are very friendly. They told me they'd cut me a tri-tip if I call ahead. Tri-tip makes great chili, too. Libbie Market also has great looking lamb chops, pork chops and outstanding beef tenderloin that even my girl friend will eat happily -- call it filet mignon, if you like. But please -- oblige me by asking the butcher for a tri-tip. Sooner or later they'll get the idea. Tri-tip, after all, is the prime piece of beef to grill for a party. Flavorful. Tender. Not ll that popular in Virginia yet, though you can find it at Tom Leonard's. Cooked rare and sliced thinly across the grain, I like it a bit better than most top round. Tri-tip also makes great Texas Chili, and cooks up tender quick enough to make it manageable in a chili cookoff. I had the honor of being the chief judge at XL-102's Richmond Chili Cook Off twice. Long ago, before I ever heard of tri-tip. Before I finished up my walkabout in Orange County, California. Now I can get off the Powhite at the Grove Avenue exit, swing by Elwood Thompson for Swiss Chard and sundry other organic greens and vegetables, an avocado roll if I need a snack -- and then I can hop up Grove to Libbie Market on the way home for outstanding beef. And a few other good things. Some of the sandwiches and cooked items I saw in the deli case looked yummy. But I did have a hard time attracting attention at the deli counter one afternoon when I wanted a sandwich. Probably a fluke. When you're done shopping at Libbie Market, unless the loading dock exit is blocked by a delivery truck, you may do better slipping out the back way, instead of trying to turn left on Libbie Avenue, which can get hectic sometimes. Depends on where you're going next, I guess. Home to fire up the grill, I would hope.
