Reagan Meats - Northfield, IL

[ronnie_suburban]

For years, Reagan Meats has operated a location in a strip mall on Waukegan Road in Glenview. Being just beyond my "reasonably-traveled shopping radius" I never bothered to stop in and check things out. Perhaps my slow-to-die strip mall prejudices and overall laziness contributed to that.

Recently, however, they opened a new store in Northfield on Willow Road, just east of the Edens expy in the former Northfield Foods location. A few months ago, a family member bought some skirt steaks there and -- even when cooked on a barely adequate gas grill -- they were fantastic. Since I get my haircut in the building next door to Reagan's new location, I decided to stop in and see if the skirt steaks were just a fluke that night or if Reagan's actually has an edge. Turns out, Reagan's has an edge. For years I have sworn by the skirt steaks at sold at Sunset Foods -- and they are quite nice -- but Reagan's skirt steaks absolutely blow Sunset's away. They are not only flavorful and very juicy (properly fatty) but they are the most tender skirts I have ever eaten. They are not sinewy, chewy, stringy or tough -- not even minimally. My experience with Sunset's skirts, and many other great tasting skirt steaks over years, is that some sinew comes with the territory. I'm rethinking that belief these days.

I certainly haven't been buying from Reagan's for very long, but my wife and I have returned there for skirt steaks (and other items) on several occasions over the past few weeks and they have always matched the quality of my initial experiences. Additionally, Reagan's offers a full range of other meats, including USDA Prime beef. Their babyback ribs are terrific, the chuck roast I bought there (smoked it) was delicious. So too were the filets and rib eyes. Free range chickens are available as well. And they even carry both home-made andouille sausage and beef jerky made from cured and smoked flank steak. Good stuff. Also offered are pre-marinated and seasoned products. The one I tried (a marinated, split half-chicken on the bone, known as a "chickaroo") didn't thrill me, but hey, no one's perfect.

Reagan's also has a deli featuring above-average Boar's Head products, decent mainstream cheeses and home-made salads. It is a small but well-stocked grocery store. During my last visit there, one customer was delighted that Reagan's had gone out of their way to source her favorite whole wheat bread for her. Soft drink selection included all the standards and some classics as well, like Green River in 12 oz glass bottles. Royal Oak lump hardwood charcoal is sold there, as are Royal Oak Foodservice grade 100% hardwood briquets. I also bought a bag of Lazzari Mesquite charcoal. Great selection for such a small place.

I'm just getting started at Reagan's but early indications are very positive. At this point I feel buying steaks at Reagan's is money in the bank. It's great to have a "go to" place when you're having people over and just want to give them the best. I really hope this place turns out to be as good over the long haul as it has been intially.

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Reagan Meats

1652 Willow Road

Northfield, IL

(847) 446-2270

[gmi3804]

I'm not far at all from Reagan's new location (or the old one, for that matter), so I suspect I'll be a regular there before long. I've loved Reagan's meats for a long time - usually treated it as a "special occasion" stop. The new location is right next to my Dry Cleaner's (alas, I don't get my hair cut that often ), so this little strip is turning into quite the happenin' spot in Northfield. Who'd-a thought it? (Now if they could just do somthing about all those power lines...)

Edited June 9, 2005 by gmi3804 (log)

[budrichard]

I'll try it next time I'm in the area, it's not to far from Trout & Grouse!

Prime grade 'butcher' type steaks are often overlooked because most people are only are familiar with Good or Choice grade of these cuts.

Don't forget Zier's in Wilmette on Ridge just south of Lake. Great Prime beef! -Dick

[ronnie_suburban]

Thanks, Dick, for the additional tip. I also really like Norshore Meat Locker in Wilmette (421 Ridge Road, just north of Wilmette Avenue), another very good prime butcher in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

One thing I neglected to mention about Reagan's in my initial post is that they're open on Sundays which is very convenient and really breeds (my) loyalty.

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

Reagan continues to impress me. We've hit it at least 4 more times since I opened this thread. Their skirt steak remains consistently the best I've ever purchased. For sake of variety I picked up some prime strip steaks last weekend -- a cut I don't particularly love -- and thought they were absolutely out of this world. Even their pork chops, another "ho-hum" cut at most places these days, were juicy and delicious -- they actually tasted like pork and were moist enough to swallow without peril

But the best thing was the hanger steak, which I served to guests last weekend. The very fact that the folks at Reagan's would go out of their way to cut us 2 of them on request, while we waited, separates them from a lot of other butchers in the area. Compare that level of service to one very popular non-prime butcher in Northbrook who told me that whole briskets were nearly impossible for him to get and who, on another occasion, told me he couldn't source marrow bones The hanger steaks were absolutely beautiful. They were so tender and delicious that I may actually spoil myself by ordering them again in the very near future -- and just for the family next time.

Next up will be some home-made bratwurst and italian sausage which we're planning to grill tomorrow. I'll be sure to report back.

=R=

[nr706]

Just curious - is Reagan Meats the same place tha used to be next to Reagan Drugs, in Glenview, when I was growing up, many decades ago?

[ronnie_suburban]

Just curious - is Reagan Meats the same place tha used to be next to Reagan Drugs, in Glenview, when I was growing up, many decades ago?

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Perhaps it's the same family. From what I know the original Reagan Meats location is in Glenview on Waukegan Road. I'll ask next time I'm in there.

=R=

[nr706]

FWIW, the one I remember was on Glenview Rd. between Harlem & Waukegan. The drug store had a classic soda shop, too.

Edited June 23, 2005 by nr706 (log)

[gmi3804]

Apropos of nothing, perhaps, I know that Reagan Meats is the real deal because the place SMELLS like bones that have been sawn with a bandsaw. Anyone who's ever smelled that smell knows that it's not one that's easily forgotten!

The last time I was in Las Vegas, I was served a cut of meat at Fix (at Bellagio) which is supposed to be the next "best" cut of the entire animal: that ring of meat that surrounds a ribeye (or slice of prime rib), but cut off the entire loin and sliced into thin steaks. It would ordinarily have been pure heaven, but this cut was made from KOBE-style beef! The fact that I had a side of deep-fried macaroni and chesse had nothing to do with my enjoyment of this dish, of course. Hey - what happens there stays there, right?!? I wonder what that cut is called (several Grey Gooses prohibit me from remembering the name) and if Reagan could provide it. My money (and I usually don't bet on anything that breathes) says they can.

[ronnie_suburban]

George,

I'm sure they can source just about anything you could ask for . . . as long as you know what to ask for (and maybe even if you don't)

The sausages were excellent. I enjoyed the spicy italian variety a bit more than the bratwurst but both were very good. I'd expect nothing less since they are made on premises. Still, it's nice not to be disappointed.

Last time I was in no one could answer the question about their connection to the old Reagan's Drugs but I will definitely ask again when I stop in later this week to make my holiday weekend pick-up.

=R=

[Jean Blanchard]

Ronnie, Thanks so much for the recommendation for Reagans. Although I live in Naperville, I find myself in Glenview often now visiting my mom at Glenview Terrace (recuperating from double hip surgery). Since I am out that way, I decided to stop at Reagans yesterday. We grilled the rib eye yesterday and it was superb! I'm marinated the pork kebab's as we speak for company tomorrow night. I think that I'll be making a regularly scheduled trip out your way from now on. Thanks again.

jb

[ronnie_suburban]

Ronnie,  Thanks so much for the recommendation for Reagans.  Although I live in Naperville, I find myself in Glenview often now visiting my mom at Glenview Terrace (recuperating from double hip surgery).  Since I am out that way, I decided to stop at Reagans yesterday.  We grilled the rib eye yesterday and it was superb!  I'm marinated the pork kebab's as we speak for company tomorrow night.  I think that I'll be making a regularly scheduled trip out your way from now on.  Thanks again.

jb

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Jean,

Sorry to hear about your mom. Here's to a full recovery. My grandmother was also at Glenview Terrace until she passed away last fall. She'd had alzheimer's for about 10 years.

I'm glad you liked Reagan's. I find that food and cooking are often great distractions and can even be therapeutic at times. Our stop at Reagan's this week included a few slabs baby back ribs, some of those great prime rib-eyes and 4 of the spicy italian sausage, to which I've quickly become addicted. Some folks like to garden or work on their cars but my idea of a perfect Sunday in the yard is putting ribs on the smoker and keeping my eye on them all afternoon. It was just what I needed yesterday after a couple of crazy-hectic weeks. Smoking meats is one of the few things I do which seems to slow time down.

=R=

[Jean Blanchard]

Ronnie, Thank you for your kind words regarding my mom. I brought her some homebaked goodies on Sunday and she was thrilled to have something to share with her caregivers and roomie.

So far, I made pork kebobs and hamburgers using Reagan purchases. Both were once again, excellent. I had marinated the pork so that helps it along anyway but the ground chuck was really good quality. This was really a find. Thanks again. I'll be in Ann Arbor for the gathering this weekend. Hope to see you there!

jb

[elfin]

Ron, how does Reagan's Italian sausage compare with North Shore Meat's in Wilmette? The latter has great Italian sausage.

[ronnie_suburban]

Ron, how does Reagan's Italian sausage compare with North Shore Meat's in Wilmette? The latter  has great Italian sausage.

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I will have to find out . . . and I will do so asap

Thanks for the unintentional tip!

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[gmi3804]

I stopped in to Reagan's in Northfield the other day. While there, I asked about the steak I had while in Las Vegas - it was the outer rim of the ribeye. The butcher told me that's called the "cap," and that removing it would pretty much render the ribeye useless. I'm not sure where they got it in LV (or what they did with the rest of the ribeye), but it was the most delicious cut I've ever had - and it was from a Kobe-style animal (Waygu, I think) on top of everything else. And the deep-fried macaroni and cheese served on the side didn't hurt either!

Now you know what my definition of "what happens here stays here" is!

[ronnie_suburban]

Yes, the cap is everything. *drool* There really is no better beef on the cow.

Now, there must be some crazy north shorer out there who would just love that nearly fatless eye roast. Hell, I'll bet some poor sop would pay $15-20/pound for it. That would leave plenty of delectible cap available for those of us who are "in the know."

=R=

[gmi3804]

Yes, the cap is everything. *drool*  There really is no better beef on the cow.

Now, there must be some crazy north shorer out there who would just love that nearly fatless eye roast.  Hell, I'll bet some poor sop would pay $15-20/pound for it.  That would leave plenty of delectible cap available for those of us who are "in the know."

=R=

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I'll start askin' around!

Now THERE'S an idea for a party: get a whole rib roast and cut off the cap!

[budrichard]

Purchased a prime Tri-tip and sliced it about 3/8" against the grain, threw the slices directly on the coals (Dirty Steak). Very good quality, certainly looked like Prime due to the marbling. I have purchased 'Choice' from Sendik's in Mequon WI that certainly was the equal of this prime. My favorite place is still Zier's in Wilmette. His Prime Rib is dry aged about 14 days by him and is still the favorite of any we have made by just a little. -Dick

[ronnie_suburban]

Glad to hear you liked it, Dick. Where exactly is Zier's? I'd love to try it out.

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[budrichard]

Zier's is on Ridge in Wilmette. Coming from I94(Edens) take Lake East until Ridge, turn right(south) onto Ridge and Zier's in on the right in the first block. He cuts every steak to order from the Primal cut. -Dick

[ronnie_suburban]

Zier's is on Ridge in Wilmette. Coming from I94(Edens) take Lake East until Ridge, turn right(south) onto Ridge and Zier's in on the right in the first block. He cuts every steak to order from the Primal cut. -Dick

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Sounds like it's just north, up the road from Norshore Meats -- another solid butchery. I'll definitely check this out next week when I'm back in the neighborhood. Thanks.

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[ronnie_suburban]

. . . Don't forget Zier's in Wilmette on Ridge just south of Lake. Great Prime beef!

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Finally tried it! Posted about it here.

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