Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Summer grilling & at-home dining

Cook like a pro with some help from Brad’s

When it comes to meat, Gene and Pam Clark believe in business the old-fashioned way. They are the owners of Brad's Meat Market in Tyrone, a place they call an old-fashioned meat market like the ones your parents and grandparents used to go to. It has a friendly atmosphere customers have come to love and appreciate.

“All our meats are custom cut to our customers’ specifications right here at our location,” Gene Clark said. “This allows our customers to see exactly how their meat is cut and where it is coming from.”

A huge selection of meat is available at Brad’s. Fresh sirloin, porterhouse, shell steaks, roasts, New York strip, thick-sliced slab bacon, center-cut pork chops, chicken breasts, ocean-raised salmon and tilapia are just a few of the items available.

“We are very particular about the quality of our meats, which are Black Cayon Angus Beef, USDA Choice or Select,” Clark said. “We have seven kinds of sausage prepared from scratch, including our popular breakfast sausage. Our meats are not pumped or injected with added solutions or additives. Our lean ground chuck is prepared from the trimmings of our roasts and steaks and makes delicious burgers, meatloaves and spaghetti sauces.”

Brad’s Meat Market also carries Ashley Farms all-natural chicken, which Clark says is especially popular with health conscious consumers. “They are not only tender and flavorful, but they contain no artificial ingredients, chemical preservatives, hormones or steroids,” he said.

The store’s number-one seller is the eight-ounce bacon-wrapped tenderloin filet. “I love its juicy taste and tenderness,” Clark said. He recommends either grilling or broiling them at 500 degrees for about nine minutes on each side.

Another customer favorite are the Western-fed T-bone steaks. “They are special-ordered from the Mid-West and have a great flavor. They are great grilled alone or marinated,” Clark said.

One of Brad’s first customers, Ron Krikorian of Peachtree City, says until the local store opened, he and his family had to go all the way into Atlanta in order to buy the same quality meat they were used to getting in their hometown of St. Louis.

“I never shop anywhere else now,” Krikorian said. “I like the peace of mind from seeing how the meat is cut and prepared right in front of my eyes. Last Christmas we served Brad’s tenderloins at a party in our home, and our friends raved. Now they are among Brad’s faithful customers.”

Along with the daily fresh-cut meat selections, Brad’s also prepares barbecue pork, baby-back ribs, buffet-style pizzas, and Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses for customers on the go. In the store you will also find fresh produce, groceries, Brad's famous cheesecakes, and a good line of specialty marinades and sauces, including the Bone Suckin and Jim Beam brands.

Brad’s Meat Market opened in March of 2002 with the goal of having the best and freshest products available daily, at a price that is always right. Gene says that they also price their meat for volume buying, prepares bulk or freezer orders, this helps customers with busy schedules. Gene Clark was working for a major grocery chain that stopped grinding fresh meat on site, and he realized the need for a specialty meat market to cater to a public that expects and wants high quality products.

Brad’s Meat Market is at 999 Senoia Road, on the corner of Palmetto-Tyrone Road, in Tyrone. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, directions or to place orders call 770-487-1840.