Nestled in Tacoma’s North End stands an old converted gas station that now houses prime cuts of steak, fresh-from-the-boat fish, and ready-to-bake meals made by the men at Dave’s Meats & Produce. Also housed within this family-friendly, open-air market are frozen take-home dinners from local restaurants, beautiful produce, and a top-notch selection of beer and wine.
On a weekly basis I find myself wandering the store aimlessly as either Derrick or Bruce guide me through my purchases, helping me decide what wonderful cut of meat I’ll be putting in my poorly-cooked meal and forcing upon my unfortunate family that evening. Knowing the food at least started with delicious, quality meat from Dave’s helps the DeRosa clan stomach my meals without excessive complaint.
This visit I decide to badger Bruce Wadel on his career choice as a butcher at Dave’s Meat & Produce.
STEPH DEROSA: You seem pretty cool. So that I may stalk you appropriately, tell me where you live.
BRUCE WADEL: Oh hell no. All I’m going to tell you is that I live in Bonney L
ake.
DEROSA: Bonney Lake? What the F are you doing driving 30 minutes each way to work? Pretend I’m Martin Scorsese and tell me your motivation.
WADEL: This place is a great, family-oriented establishment. I could work as a butcher at a Bonney Lake Safeway, sure. But then I’d just be a number at a corpora
tion.
DEROSA: Good answer. So, do you enjoy playing with dead animals?
WADEL: Well, I don’t kill them, I just cut them up.
DEROSA: OK, OK, I get it. What’s your favorite kind of meat to cut up then?
WADEL: Beef. Not as messy as game. There’s a lot of blood and hair with game.
DEROSA: Oh, cool! What do you do with the extra parts? Do you guys save the testicles? Does anyone come in requesting beef lips or anything?
WADEL: No, you’re the only one. You’re disturbed, aren’t you? Only about 1 percent of the population requests that, and it’s usually for a school to use for science class.
DEROSA: What science experiments I do on my own time is my business.
WADEL: You’re right. I don’t even want to know what you did with the virgin veal tonsils I gave you last week.
[Dave’s Meat & Produce, 1312 N. I St., Tacoma, 253.280.9999]