Louie, our butcher extraordinaire (a.k.a. the M Resort Head Butcher), may be the only guy in Vegas to keep his office heated during the summer. That’s because it’s actually located inside the butcher shop here at M and at a chilly 50 degrees, Louie needs only to open his office door a crack to get an arctic breeze. And while Louie does spend time in an office, let us tell you that he is most certainly a butcher first and foremost, and with 57 years of experience as a butcher, boy does he know his stuff. 

When most people think of butcher shops, they think of beef. There’s certainly beef in the butcher shop and lots of it, but the shop here at M handles all things meat and seafood – from steaks and chops to homemade Italian sausage, chicken, fresh fish and even live lobsters. It’s no easy task keeping up with a resort offering so many things gastronomical but Louie and his team are always hard at work to keep the best and freshest offerings on your plate. 

When it comes to beef (and everything else to be sure) here at M, you’re getting the good stuff. You won’t find any “select” grade beef, which is what most major grocery stores carry. While it may be called select, it’s not necessarily something you’d want to select. All the meat at M is graded choice or better (yes, even in the buffet), and while it’s more expensive, Louie tells us that when it comes to meat, you’re certainly getting what you pay for. You’ll also find some very special beef in our steakhouse Terzetto that comes from the Marnell family ranch in Montana – we go through 12,000 lbs. of this prime beef a month! 

We asked Louie for a couple hints and tips we could pass along to you when it comes to selecting your meat and seafood, so here are a few simple things you should know: 

• When it comes to steaks, look for marbling. You want to see a good amount of fat “marbled” in with the meat as this equals flavor and tenderness. The more marbling, the higher the grade. 
• If you’re buying fish already filleted, the filet should be solid and firm, not flaking at all or falling apart. 
• If you’re buying whole fish, the eyes should be clear and bright while the gills should be red. Cloudiness in the eyes or graying of the gills means the fish is past its prime. Good fresh fish also shouldn’t smell “fishy” – it should smell like the water it came from. 

The next time you’re here at M enjoying a steak, some sushi or fried chicken, don’t forget to send Louie and the guys in the butcher shop some happy, and especially warm thoughts!