Brooks Walton Locker

While I'm less of a carnivore than my husband, it's important to me to "know" where my meat comes from. Brooks is one of the finest local meat markets you can find. They are their own butcher, and they also own a lot/slaughterhouse--which, admittedly, makes me a little uncomfortable because I'm also an animal lover--but I'm also a person who values local food and I consider myself a concerned consumer--I know that my meat came from Boone or Kenton County, not half way across Kansas! They have a deli, they have a large frozen selection of their own brand meats, sausages, etc., along with some of the standard grocery brands. When shopping the meat case, buy a pound of the Mariah bacon--you'll never again buy storebought brands. To my knowledge, Brooks is one of the only meat markets in Kentucky that carries the Mariah brand. Don't forget to stock up on ground beef--some of the best I've ever tasted.Now, let's talk sausages. There used to be a German butcher on Dixie Hwy in Florence that closed. Brooks picked up their prize sausage maker, Stefan. You'll often see him working the counter, expertly cutting up larger pieces of roast upon request. Last week, I bought chicken apple sausages and they were the absolute delight of my husband's week. When in Walton, bypass Kroger and head to Brooks for your meat. If going on Saturday, go early, they're only open until 2, but it's well worth it.