Mister Brisket has a genuine treat for all our steak fans. We have in stock USDA Prime Strip Loins from Piedmontese cattle. Piedmontese beef has several benefits including great marbling, tremendous tenderness—and more poly-unsaturated fats (the good kind) than one typically finds in red meat. According to research done by the USDA, the presence of myostatin in the genetics of these cattle makes them unique in this regard. In addition, these cattle have been raised without the use of antibiotics or added growth hormones on a strictly vegetarian diet. I don’t know if anyone sang to them each evening before bedtime but you get the idea—these steaks taste great and have genuine health benefits (more good fat and less bad is the essence of it). But, most impressively, the price is fantastic. We’re offering these strips for 10.95/lb! That’s a drop of $3 per pound from last week and $5 per pound from Christmas. I can’t imagine a better item to have available for you at this time. It’s delicious, healthy and cheap (relatively speaking). Call/email to order. Walk-ins are also welcome.

These marvelous Piedmontese Strips are not the only bargain of the moment. Indeed the price of beef tenderloin continues to drop. While it’s not going to last—especially when Sanford returns from vacation in two days—Beef Tenderloin is now going for—gulp--$8.95/lb (untrimmed wt). All indications are that the price will move back up so you are advised to grab them whether you need them or not. A whole beef tender at this price—which we’ll trim according to your specs—could actually run you under $50. That’s amazing.

Other Bargains:

Smoked Slab Bacon (sliced or unsliced) 2.99/lb

Rib/Long Bone Veal Chops 10.95/lb

Beef Hanger Steaks 6.99/lb

Jumbo P@D Shrimp 8.95/lb

Thai Sausage 3.99/lb

Beef Short Rib 4.99/lb

First Cut Beef Brisket 4.50/lb

Veal Tenderloin (great for scallopini) 14.95/lb

Italian Fryers 2.49/lb

Wing On Breasts (boneless) 4.99/lb

Half Pound Burgers 2.99/lb

Kurobuta Pork Chops or Roasts 8.99/lb (limited supply)

Beef Flank Steak 5.99/lb

The Salamis have landed and the troops love them. This is the word received from Max Chandler, whose son, Cormac, a Medevac Crew Chief in Afghanistan, inspired our efforts to send them to our servicemen and women. Two emotions prevail—relief and excitement. We’re thrilled that the salamis are being enjoyed by our armed forces. And we’re incredibly grateful to know that they arrived in excellent condition. While the holiday season is over, Mister Brisket continues to receive inquiries from people interested in sending salami to the troops. We will continue to do so as long as there is interest. If there is a specific service member to whom you’d like us to ship, just contact us with their address information. For more info: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/salamitroops.html

The following service members have had salamis shipped to them: Cormac Chandler, First Lt Robinson, Ryan Flynn, Max Flynn, Mike Gedeon and Philip Consolo.

Salami To The Troops—The Movie. We utilized the talents of Lindsey Reilly to create a brief video explaining our endeavor and its surprising success. To view it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0CBuUV2WQc

One last note on the Salami project—my favorite personal card, written by Anita Friedman, read as follows:

“If you don’t like salami, throw it at the bad guys.”

More exciting news for 2010—E-Brisket is returning! E-Brisket was a popular feature of Mister Brisket that began in fall of 2005 and ran for one year. It allowed customers to bid on Mister Brisket items at a reduced price with the chance to get some great products at significant saving. We added the deli, however, in July of 2006 and it became too difficult for us to handle both simultaneously.

Now, however, we’re bringing back E-Brisket with some twists. First, the auction will no longer be held over one day. We’re going to allow the bidding to begin every Tuesday at 9am with final bids being accepted up to Thursday at 5:30pm. Secondly, all proceeds from E-Brisket will be donated to The Agnon School, a private Jewish day school in Beachwood. Finally, we’re going to try to add more exciting items to E-Brisket. While it’s always great to win steaks or pans of brisket, anyone interested in benefiting TAS by donating a personal item will be encouraged to do so. All it will require is a digital photo, description and value.

What’s exciting is that technology has advanced since we last ran this auction. In 2005, one of our problems was that some customers couldn’t bid because they were unable to use their work computers for this purpose. Now, handheld devices abound. One can access the internet from the car, lunch meeting or Mister Brisket sandwich counter. Also, social media such as Facebook and Twitter didn’t exist. The opportunities to let people know about this auction have expanded. First item for bids will be a Roasted, Sliced Empire Kosher Turkey Breast. It’s a forty eight dollar value but bidding will start at ten dollars. For more info: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/ebrisket.html

Mister Brisket is open Tuesday thru Friday from 9-5 and Saturdays and Sundays from 9-3. Every Tuesday all large corned beef sandwiches are only 5.95.

Mister Brisket Inc, 2156 S. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118

216-932-8620

www.misterbrisket.com

If you are receiving this email in error, write “delete” in the subject and hit reply.

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It’s not too soon to think about Thanksgiving. And we’re not the only ones that think so. Wednesdays Plain Dealer Food Section contained a nice plug courtesy of Debbie Snook. She mentioned our Thanksgiving offerings as well as the ongoing ten percent off sale. Here’s the link in case you missed it: http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2009/10/turkey_every_which_way_a_decad.html

Also mentioned was our array of videos on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mister+brisket&search_type=&aq=f

The actual Thanksgiving info can be found at www.misterbrisket.com

Most of you are aware that we ship our products across the country. But this week we experienced a first—a customer in Alaska. Charlie Aarons had enjoyed our pastrami when his sister, former Cleveland Orchestra member, Martha Aarons, had brought some out to him on a visit. He liked it so much that he ordered four whole ones for his residence in Anchorage. In addition, he was astute enough to request his ten percent discount. My only concern was that if the package was left at his door it might end up as bear food. Ecologically, that could be devastating because once they taste our pastrami, those grizzlies are not going to be interested in berries, roots and grubs.

Need a good flu remedy? Mike Reilly, proprietor of Reilly Painting (216-371-8160—Mike does great work) and daughter, Lindsey, swear by the restorative powers of our Chicken Soup. Our soup is made from scratch and can be purchased plain or with Matzo Balls. Each container feeds two. Incidentally, Lindsey, a graduate of Hawken School and Wittenberg University, did the film work on our youtube videos. If you need a terrific filmmaker for any occasion, give her a call, 440-941-0413, or check her website: www.reillyfilms.com

Mister Brisket is proud to purvey a brand new item: Grass Fed Beef Burgers. They are made from lean chuck meat that we recently purchased from cattle that were raised specifically on grass—a more natural feed for the animals. The burgers are sold the same as our other patties—in packages of twelve—and weigh one third pound apiece. The cost is higher—5.99/lb. Put another way—it’s two dollars a burger. The meat is lighter in color and leaner. We hope you’ll try them and will be curious as to what you think.

We are open until 5pm today as well as 9-3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Every Tuesday—all large Corned Beef Sandwiches are only 5.95.

Mister Brisket, Inc. 2156 S. Taylor, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118

216-932-8620

Toll free: 1-877-274-7538

Fax: 216-321-6556

The Ten Percent Sale enters its second week with a head of steam. Many of you called immediately to take advantage of our discount. And the Thanksgiving turkey orders began to stream in.

For those of you that may have “accidentally” deleted our last e-mail, let me repeat our special. Any purchases of $40 or more during October will be discounted by ten percent. Further, if you place an order prior to the end of the month for any upcoming holiday—Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years—we will discount those totals by ten percent as well.

It’s a good bargain and one that should give you the necessary incentive to purchase some of the marvelous meats, deli or prepared foods we stock. It’s also a great reason not only to order your Thanksgiving birds but other holiday fare as well.

And is it just a coincidence that at the same time we offer a Ten Percent savings, the Dow averages cracks Ten Thousand? You decide for yourself but here’s our advice--if you want this economic upturn to continue then take advantage of our sale. For details follow this link: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/whatsnews.html

Speaking of bargains, we’re reducing the price on our marvelous boneless wing on chicken breasts. Normally 5.99/lb, we’re reducing them by one dollar a pound—to 4.99. These breasts are the same ones currently gracing the menus of several fabulous Cleveland restaurants including L’Albatros, Parallax, Table 45 and The Baricelli Inn.

If you’ve never tried them, consider that not only is this a good time to buy but you’ll get an additional ten percent off if they’re part of at least forty dollars worth of purchases. In addition, we’re reducing the price on our Italian Fryers—normally 2.99/lb—to 2.49/lb. The other great deal we’re offering remains Beef Tenderloins for 9.95/lb. And ten percent off a whole beef tender knocks down your cost to 8.96/lb (give or take a penny).

What else can you get ten percent off that’s currently in stock? How about: USDA Prime Strip Steaks, USDA Prime Rib Steaks/Roasts, Kurobuta Pork Chops, Beef Flank Steaks and Beef Skirt Steaks. There’s also Smoked Slab Bacon, Berkshire Pork Butts, Thai Sausage, Burgers, First Cut Beef Briskets, Whole Beef Briskets and Chuck Roasts. In addition, consider our marvelous pans of Roasted or Barbecued Brisket—great for entertaining or indulging as you watch your favorite college or pro teams. And, of course, our full line of sandwiches/deli meats—corned beef, brisket, pastrami, beef salami, roasted turkey, turkey pastrami and chicken salad--are always available. For current prices on many raw meat products: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/pricelist.html

Let us help you with Thanksgiving. While the holiday is six weeks away, it’s not too soon to gather information. Most of what we offer can be found at: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/thanksgiving.html

Tidbits…We will be on the west side tomorrow (Friday). Ten percent off applies to both sides of town…Follow us on twitter under the name “Brisketman.” Also, our Facebook page is up. Construction is not complete but we’d love for you to become a fan of Mister Brisket…We recently had the pleasure of having a visit from Barb and Denis Bowman and family. The Bowman’s moved from Cleveland to Atlanta during the 1990’s and have remained customers. It’s always flattering when our out of town friends stop in to say hello. It helps us put a face with those we mostly know via e-mail or phone calls. Their parents, Mary and Jerry Pontius of Woodstock, Georgia, are also customers….We’re open the rest of this week from 9-5 and Saturday plus Sunday from 9-3pm. Stop in for a sandwich or to yell at us for cluttering your mailbox.

Hamburgers have been in the news a lot lately after a NY Times article exposed the methods by which the cheap burgers that flood the market are comprised. We’re working on an article that we will post to our website that explains burgers in detail but in the meantime here’s what you need to know. Mister Brisket doesn’t use tubes of ground beef in our burger making process nor do we cobble together our burgers from dozens of sources of meat. We cut up large pieces of one item--lean chuck--and add in brisket or tenderloin—depending upon the type of burger we’re making. We grind the meat at our store. We chill it overnite. Then we make our own patties on our premises. These patties are frozen immediately to prevent bacteria growth. Not only does our composition produce a delicious hamburger patty but it is safer than what is available almost anywhere else including your local supermarkets. No one in Cleveland makes a better burger for retail consumption both from a flavor and safety perspective.

Anatomy of a Sale…When we decided to run a sandwich sale to celebrate our deli’s third anniversary, it was hard to know what to expect. First, it’s an artificial occasion. Our third anniversary had actually taken place in July—not that you’d have known the difference. But more to the point, our marketing efforts were limited to handing out flyers, emails and a notification on the homepage of our website (I did twitter about this event to my three followers). A press release sent to various media around town was roundly ignored.

Would we be busy? Would people know to come to Mister Brisket for a discounted deli sandwich—albeit a really good one? Well...we got our answer. We were jammed both days. While profits were slim, the volume of business we did spoke loud and clear—people love a bargain. Therefore look for similar offers in the future. We’ll celebrate any and all occasions that will bring such a large crowd. Under consideration—the six month anniversary of Taylor Road being paved, Sy Ginsberg’s birthday (he’s the guy whose corned beef we use) and the firing of Eric Mangini—which can’t happen soon enough.

One caveat—he credits Sanford with the telling of this tale. This is a common misconception. You can always tell whether or not the email you receive is from Sanford because he uses CAPITALS and has trouble spelling. But we still love the attention from the best weekly paper in NE Ohio.

Mister Brisket enjoyed out-of-town company last Friday. Dan Morgenstern, who resides in Durango, Colorado, and Michael Salzberg from Bethesda, Maryland, both stopped in within an hour of each other. Morgenstern and Salzberg regularly receive shipments from us, and, coincidentally, were in Cleveland on the same weekend. We enjoy having a chance to visit with all our customers but particularly appreciate when our national clientele come in to say “hello.”

Some pork items that may be of interest to you this weekend include Kurobuta Pork Italian Sausage, Rindless Smoked Bacon, Pork Butts and smoked Pork Kielbasa. The Italian sausage is made from trimmings from our wonderful Berkshire pork and is rich and delicious. You can grill it, put it on a homemade pizza or add to a stew. Our splendid bacon comes from Routh Packing in Sandusky in full rinds. We can slice it thin or thick depending upon your preference. As for the pork butts, they are marvelous item for roasting or smoking. Average weight is around six pounds. Pork Butts are an ideal cut to use for making pulled pork. The Kielbasa is a new item from a local producer in Parma (insert cheap joke here) that we’ve been testing out for a few weeks. We think you’ll really enjoy it.

USDA Prime Rib Steaks are in stock as well. The quality is particularly outstanding at this time of year on what we consider to be the tastiest grill item in the world. Other considerations right now include beef skirt steaks, beef hanger steaks, beef tenderloins and flank steaks.

We still have some Wild Coho Salmon. It is a sumptuous piece of fish and a bargain at only 12.95/lb.

Also currently in stock: our homemade Burgers, Thai Sausage, and Natural Casing Jumbo Beef Hot Dogs. In addition, we have our terrific Turkey Burgers, and Fresh Kielbasa.

Planning to make a roast? Consider the following: Empire Kosher Turkey Breasts, First Cut Beef Briskets, or a Raw Corned Beef Brisket. All are simple to prepare and provide great leftovers.

Wild Alaskan King Salmon from the Columbia River has found its way back to our store. While we’ve enjoyed the Sockeye we’ve carried, there’s nothing like the King for richness and flavor. The price has dropped significantly. Please don’t hesitate if you want some. Call 216-932-8620 or email. I always feel badly when customers read this email, show up at the store and find out it’s no longer available.

What Else? Here are some items you should consider that are currently in stock: Natural Casing Beef Hot Dogs…no matter how many times this item gets mentioned, people seem surprised to find out we carry them. A natural casing is preferable because it changes the texture of the sausage. Our hot dog has a snap when you bite into it. Thai Sausage Links are another must try item for your grill. We take beef and veal trimmings, chop them up, add in fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce plus a couple other key ingredients and the result is a magnificently flavorful and unique grill item. There’s a lot of mediocre sausage in Cleveland—or just plain bad (every try a Johnsonville Brat…it tastes like plastic fat)—so it’s a pleasure to offer one that stands out not only for quality but uniqueness of flavor. Mister Brisket Turkey Burgers are another personal creation worthy of your grill. There’s nothing worse than most turkey burgers because they’re either pumped with artificial seasonings or dry as dust. Ours are strictly turkey breast meat—we bone and grind the turkey at our store—with just enough fat mixed in to keep them moist. They’re a revelation especially if you normally (and understandably) stay away from turkey dogs, sausages and the like…. Beef Tenderloin remains the long running bargain of 2009 at only 9.95/lb. If you’re “jonesing” for a red meat fix, get a bunch of thick filets, roll them in kosher salt and garlic, throw them over the coals and marvel at the flavor as well as the low price….Kurobuta Pork is yet another spectacular item for anyone that loves a tender, tasty item to barbecue. This pork comes specifically from Berkshire Hogs that are renowned for their flavor. It’s like eating a Long Bone Veal Chop…but better.

Bargains of the moment include Beef Flank Steaks (5.99/lb) and Pork Tenderloins (3.99/lb). As always, we have Tender Italian Fryers (2.99/lb), Boneless Wing-On Chicken Breasts (5.99/lb) and Salt Brined Chicken Breasts (3.99/lb—bone-in wt). Also we have Beef Skirt Steaks and Hanger Steaks awaiting your purchase.

Sales have been rising all summer on our pans of Barbecued Brisket. Two reasons seem obvious. First, it’s delicious. Secondly, it’s a tasty and inexpensive way to feed a crowd. If you’re planning a party and want to save money, consider our simple and delicious heat and eat items. We can provide a lot of food very cheaply and everyone will love it. Check the prepared foods section of www.misterbrisket.com or call Hank at 216-932-8620 for details. Also, our deli trays are the best in the city. For 8.50/person, you get up to five meats, two cheeses, pickles, bread, potato salad and condiments—all artfully arranged. Keep us in mind as well for lunch for your office or business meeting. We do great deli as well as box lunches for all budgets.

My favorite story since returning from vacation was provided by customer Danielle Van Heckeren of Cleveland Heights. She and her family were driving to Massachusetts with a Styrofoam cooler full of our frozen meat. While stopping for gas, she checked and discovered that the beef tenderloin—which she’d assumed would slack out during the ride—was still solid as a rock. Since it was supposed to be the main course for dinner that evening, she needed to improvise a method of defrosting while en route. Her solution? Danielle placed her three beef tender roasts on the dashboard for the rest of the trip!

Reminder…We are open Saturdays and Sundays until 3:00pm. Come in for great corned beef, pastrami, brisket or barbecued beef sandwiches as well as wonderful meats for your home. It’s always advisable to call ahead in order to make sure we have what you seek in stock.

Mister Brisket, Inc. 2156 S. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio

1/22

1/8/09

Recapping the holidays…Twenty years ago, the holiday season was easy to handle. People placed their orders well in advance, everyone expected home delivery and our biggest obstacle was finding part-time help. But times have changed. The trend in recent years has been that people are waiting longer to place their orders. Irrespective of what holiday it is, the orders are coming in later--and the demand for prepared foods continues to rise.

But this presents a problem—especially at Christmas. Our biggest holiday sellers are beef tenderloin and rib roasts. As a merchant, you want to bring in the right amount. Buy too little and your lack of inventory means you lose business. Purchase too much, however, and your cooler ends up filled with meat that has been purchased at a time of year when it’s usually at peak cost. And since many people now wait until less than a week prior to holidays to order, there’s more guess work involved. No longer can we count our orders, estimate the number of late ones, and make our purchases.

So, what happened? We got lucky. We ended up with a few extra boxes of rib roasts—ideal with New Years just one week later—and not one extra beef tenderloin. Indeed, the evening of December 23, I was in our cooler at 10:00pm to see how many beef tenderloins we had in stock. I needed 71 for December 24. We had 77 in the cooler. Six people called the next day asking if we had any left. How’s that for planning?

Still, this holiday season was significantly different than any in the past. First, the number of pans of brisket sold exceeded that of any other holiday. Indeed, we sold more cooked briskets for Christmas 2008 than we typically do for Rosh Hashanah or Passover. I anticipated an increase…but not that type of increase. Secondly—the number of people picking up their orders at our store exceeded the number receiving their merchandise by delivery. Part of the reason is that our deli counter in the front has transformed our business into a destination. I also think that people who order late tend to assume that they should pick it up. Maybe it’s guilt? Either way, it allowed us to utilize one less holiday driver. A third factor was the low cost of quality meat. We were selling beef tenderloins for three dollars a pound less than the year before. Rib Roasts had dropped two dollars a pound. And USDA Prime Strip Steaks, which had hit $15.95/lb during the summer, were down a whopping $5 per pound. So, at our busiest time of year, we found ourselves with bargains to offer. Never before has their been a Christmas, when we found ourselves talking to customers about how cheap the meat was.

One last thing: Thank you for your support. Without it, we’d never have lasted. It seems to us, however, that there’s one reason we’re still standing—quality. Whether it’s our deli items, heat-and-serve prepared foods or butcher shop meats, we’ve always endeavored to provide you with the best. And in 2009, we’ll continue to do the same. We may occasionally forget to return a phone call or be a bit late with your delivery. But we’ll never compromise on quality. It’s our formula. It’s what works. And it’s why we’re still in business after thirty- three years.

Speaking of inexpensive meat…The decreased costs of corn and oil continue to suppress the prices on some our most popular items. First, that old standby, beef tenderloin, has dipped to 9.95 per pound. Feeding your family filet mignon should no longer be seen as an extravagance. Also, USDA Prime Strip Steaks are currently available for 9.95/lb as well. That’s six dollars per pound below their cost in July. Also, consider that we’re lowering Hanger Steak to 8.95/lb. And we have USDA Prime Rib Steaks also at 8.95. Who eats steak in January? I don’t know. But at these prices, I’d recommend that you shovel a path to your grill. If that’s too much work, then pan-fry or broil them.

It’s also a great time to buy…BURGERS! Why? Because Christmas leaves us with a lot of extra beef tenderloin trimmings. Those trimmings, after being leaned out and ground with some nice chuck meat, make for the best burgers of the year. And, we’re selling them for $2.99/lb—a great price.

Yet more bargains are available. We’re offering large shrimp for 8.95/lb, Beef Flank Steaks @ 5.99/lb, Pork Tenderloins for 4.99/lb, and Free-Range Fryers (Sanford calls them Albatross chickens) for $2.99/lb.

Our first shipments of 2009 have already been sent out. Indeed, four pounds of our heavenly pastrami went to Pittsburgh. We also shipped racks of lamb, veal chops, roasted brisket and hot dogs to Palm Beach Gardens. Currently in the freezer we have USDA Prime steaks being sent as a gift to Evanston, Illinois. And another Florida customer is expecting chicken breasts, racks of lamb and burgers next week. Some out-of-state customers come to us, however. Former Clevelanders, Carol and Jonathan Buchter, stopped by on Monday to pick up Veal Chops and Chicken Breasts to take back to Seattle. It’s always nice to visit with old friends and gratifying to know that they still love our stuff. Shipping orders have been on the rise for the last year in part because it’s surprisingly affordable. Call us or email for information on the costs of shipping to an out-of-state destination.

One New Year’s resolution we’ve made is to switch over to computerized invoicing. This will allow us keep a precise record of past customer orders and simply make everything more legible. Bear with us as we adjust. Also, we’re currently working furiously to get the RTA bus shelter removed from in front of our store. Not only will this increase our visibility, it will add parking. In addition, bus shelters are magnets for all types of riff-raff. Without it’s presence, our section of Taylor road will become more welcoming.

Our Economic Stimulus Package: All of us are aware of the precarious economic situation. At Mister Brisket, we want to help. Here are our offers:

1) We will give you a gift certificate for $5 off any purchase from Mister Brisket. The only conditions are that you must use it during December of 2008. And the purchase must be for at least $30. There are three ways to take advantage of this offer. First, place an order via email or over the phone and mention that you want your $5 certificate applied towards your purchase. For example, if you’re ordering a rib roast for Christmas, and you mention the $5 off certificate, we’ll record the discount on your invoice. Secondly, you can have us mail it to you. Or, you can walk in the store and ask for it. Regardless, the only condition to using this discount is to ask for it. And you must use it during this month. All gift certificates will be void on January 1, 2009.

2) Purchase Mister Brisket Gift Certificates and receive discounts. Gift certificates can be purchased for either dollar amounts or specific product. All dollar amount Gift Certificates will receive a 5% discount from the total. So, if you purchase a $100 gift certificate, it will only cost $95. In addition, one of the most popular gifts we offer is a certificate for pans of our roasted or barbecued brisket. During the month of December, we will discount these gift certificates by $5. So, you can buy a friend or family member a certificate for a pan of barbecued brisket that feeds 8-10, and pay $35 dollars rather than $40. Mister Brisket Gift Certificates have been re-styled to fit snugly into an envelope. Just call us, specify whom you want to receive a certificate, and we’ll mail it to them with a gift card enclosed.

Current Bargains: There are a number of great buys to be had at the present.

Upcoming Holidays: While I doubt anyone has forgotten, Christmas, Hanukah and New Year’s Eve are all coming up. As always, Mister Brisket has a variety of wonderful options for those of you planning to entertain. Beef Tenderloins, Prime Rib Roasts, Dearborn Spiral Hams, Racks of Lamb, Pork Roasts, as well as turkeys, geese, ducks and shrimp will all be available. In addition we’ll be cooking plenty of Roasted Brisket, Turkey Breasts and Deli Trays. Place your order now for these items—and don’t forget to use your $5 Gift Certificate courtesy of our economic stimulus plan. Generally speaking, meat prices will be lower this holiday season than over the last several years. Check our website, www.misterbrisket.com for current pricing and generally holiday info. And don’t forget, our prepared foods are a great and inexpensive way to entertain your guests.

We are very proud of Tony Casciano, our man in Naperville, Illinois, who was recently featured in his local newspaper for an article extolling his culinary talents. Tony was kind enough to mention Mister Brisket in the piece. Here’s a link to a great read: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=247868

Is Mister Brisket becoming hip? The women behind FabandFru.com think so. They contacted us to get Thanksgiving tips for their readers. Brandi Savitt and Andrea Moya had spent years hearing stories about Sanford from their friend Jeremy “Miah” Zinn. Jeremy, a rising star at MTV and son of Steve and Wendy, had worked for Mister Brisket while in high school and has visited often over the years. Long story short—these two women created a website that offers lifestyle and financial advice for women. To read what was written about us, follow this link: http://www.fabandfru.com/?tips/turkey-tips-from-mr-brisket.html

Remember: Every Monday, our large corned beef sandwiches are only $5.95 with any other purchase.

MB NEWS—CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER SALE

With bad economic news dominating the headlines, it’s amazing to report that some meat prices have gone down. Yet a number of cuts have diminished in cost as a result of decreased demand as well as the declining price of some of the items used to feed livestock. Most notably, beef tenderloin, always a favorite, has gone down low enough that we’re going to grit our teeth and offer you a great special: 9.95/lb for one beef tender, 8.95/lb if you buy two or more. Similarly, the price of USDA Prime Rib Roasts has dwindled to $8.95/lb. If you are planning to use either beef tenderloin or rib roast for Christmas, New Years or any upcoming event, it’s a great idea to buy them now and freeze. You will pay far less than towards the end of December.

Several other items are also being offered at a very good price. Flank Steaks are currently $5.99/lb while pork tenderloins are $4.99/lb. We have marvelous ground beef in the freezer for $2.49/lb and we’re selling our burgers for $2.99/lb. We also have

Thai Sausage at $3.99/lb, Beef Skirt Steaks for 10.95/lb and Beef Hanger Steaks for $9.95/lb. We also have in stock some gorgeous USDA Prime Strip Steaks. Alas, they have not reduced in price from $14.95/lb. Nor have we seen a break on our marvelous Kurobuta Pork Chops. Long Bone Veal Chops have gone down a bit; current price is $18.95/lb. We also have some gorgeous Beef Short Ribs available for $6.99/lb.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, all the info you need is posted on our website. Go to http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/thanksgiving.html to find out about the various turkeys we sell, the price per pound as well as loads of info on the prepared foods we offer for the holiday. As usual we feature Empire Kosher Turkeys although we have been forewarned that they may be in short supply this year. If that proves to be the case, we will substitute with Rubashkin turkeys—another popular kosher brand. Kosher turkeys tend to be the best because of how they’re raised (in a true free range fashion), what they’re fed, and the fact they’re salt brined. They’re also not scalded when the feathers are removed which keeps them from drying out when cooked. We also offer an all-natural grade A turkey as well as Organic turkeys. All our turkeys can be cleaned seasoned and made oven ready for a modest fee. If you don’t want to cook, we’ll be making turkeys and turkey breasts with all the requisite sides for delivery on Wednesday, 11/26/08.

With election coming up, here’s something upon which all can agree: Mister Brisket is offering a great sandwich special on Election Day, November 4. We are selling all our large sandwiches, normally $7.50, for only $5.95. Our slogan is EAT WELL and Vote. We expect to be busy so it’s a good idea to call ahead and place your order.

What’s the rarest shot in golf? According to standout chef and links aficionado, Zach Bruell, it’s a double eagle—three under par. Far less common than a hole in one, this once in ten lifetimes shot is also called an “Albatross.” And that’s exactly what Bruell has decided to name his newest restaurant. The Albatross, opening in the space formerly occupied by “That Place on Bellflower”, will be a French bistro serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Heavy emphasis will be placed on simple French fare. Expect to see lots of pork and chicken dishes as well as a variety of pates. The Albatross, scheduled to open close to Thanksgiving, should provide a welcome addition to the university circle neighborhood.

Looking for bargains? Check the freezer section of our website. Often miscut or cancelled orders end up in our freezer. These are great quality items that we’re offering at discounts for your benefit. Go to http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/freezer.html

The funniest comment, or so I thought, came out of the mouth of my six year old son, Max, as we were driving home from downtown. As we passed democratic party headquarters on St Clair avenue, he casually commented, “Oh, look, it’s a Barack Obama club.” Perhaps you had to be there….

MB NEWS MID OCTOBER 2008

Rosh Hashanah has passed and the biggest surprise of the holiday may have been the number of pans of roasted brisket we shipped across the country. We sent copious amounts of brisket to Colorado, Florida, California, Texas, South Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Illinois and Wisconsin just to name some of the places that come to mind. We were proud of how many people wanted to send friends and family our marvelous brisket. Of course, it wasn’t just cooked brisket we were shipping; many fans of this little business were ordering our briskets, soup chickens, chicken breasts, veal briskets and turkeys for preparation in their own kitchens. UPS and FEDEX were undoubtedly pleased with the popularity of our products!

So, as a way of expressing appreciation to those of you who either sent our products or purchased them from points across the country, Mister Brisket makes the following offer: We will waive the usual fees for shipping materials on all orders for shipment made during the month of October. You’ll pay for the products and the shipping fees. But we’ll pick up the cost of the Styrofoam boxes and chilling element. This will save you roughly $10-15 per shipment. It’s our way of expressing appreciation to our customers outside of NE Ohio as well as those who use us to send gifts to others. It’s also our way of trying to make Mister Brisket goods as affordable during a difficult economic time.

What about those of you in Cleveland? Don’t you deserve a break? Absolutely. So, we will waive delivery fees (fuel charges) for the rest of October on all home deliveries. Again, this is our way to try and save you money at a time when every one has pocketbook concerns. This deal will apply only to October.

How about those Browns? Maybe it was coincidence, but this past Monday was one of the busiest in the history of our deli. Many of you took advantage of our BBQ sale and sandwich sales—CB sandwiches are discounted on Mondays—were brisk. But, our favorite sale of the day was the whole pig to customer Hugh Tobin. Tobin was throwing a huge tailgate party all afternoon and wanted to make sure there was plenty of pork to roast.

It was also great to see a recent Sunday Plain Dealer spotlight shined on Bob Fishman, owner of The Grapevine. Bob has carved a niche for himself in this competitive business by focusing primarily on California wines. Call him at 216-791-9300 or visit him at his shop in the Cedar—Fairmount shopping district.

We recently welcomed world famous pianist, Emanuel Ax, for the second time to our store. Maestro Ax, in town to perform with the orchestra, has become a huge fan of our pastrami. We laid down the “white tablecloth”—butcher paper—on our back table and set him and his crew up with a bunch of hot pastrami, bread and a variety of mustards.

Speaking of the Cleveland Orchestra, new General Manager, Gary Ginstling, recently stopped in for some of our deli at the behest of Mr. Ax. How often does a business get a customer on recommendation of a Grammy winning musician? It was a first for us at least. And Mr. Ginstling struck us as a wonderful addition to our city.

If you’ve read this far, you may be wondering if we have any bargains? Here are a few thoughts: hot dogs(jumbo or natural casing: 6.99), hamburgers(2.99) and thai sausage(4.99)—great for the grill—are all being put on sale. So are USDA Prime Rib Steaks(10.95)—the best steak in the world. Beef Tenderloins remain at a relatively low price(11.50). In terms of seafood, we have available Black Cod(17.95), Wild Coho Salmon(very tasty—12.95) and Jumbo Diver Scallops(18.95). Please call ahead for seafood as supply is limited. For prices on most popular mister brisket items, go to: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/pricelist.html

Stone Crab Claw season is set to begin. We have access to some of the best. Call for details…Zach Bruell is trying to get his newest restaurant up and running. He hopes to open in November. Not sure yet what the name will be but it will feature country French cuisine. His discussions of the menu had my mouth watering. It will be located in the spot formerly occupied by That Place on Bellflower….How did one customer recently thank a police officer that didn’t write him a ticket? He contacted us to send the officer a gift certificate for a jumbo Corned Beef sandwich. Now, it wasn’t a bribe. The customer, who will remain nameless, just wanted to express his appreciation to the officer for understanding there were extenuating circumstances and letting him off with a warning. That’s one way to use our gift certificates…Remember, every Monday we sell large corned beef sandwiches for only 5.95. It’s the best lunch deal in town.

MB NEWS: ROSH HASHANAH

Not to be a nudge, but for those of you that celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the first night is less than three weeks away. It’s creeping up quick and we want to remind you that Mister Brisket has everything you need for your holiday table.

We have briskets, tenderloins, rib roasts, capons, turkey breasts and lamb legs for roasting. We have kosher pullets for making soup. We have ground whitefish and pike (and we’ll add onion) for those of you that want to make your own “gefilte fish.” And…if you don’t want to cook, we’ll make everything for you. We’ll cook your brisket, make your soup, add some wonderful chopped liver—and deliver it to your door the day it’s to be served. Raw or prepared—we’re ready to help make your holiday as easy as possible. .

A philosophical question: what type of brisket do you buy? Here are our thoughts. If you’re a strict traditionalist—the type who wants to do things the same as your “bubbe”--buy a whole brisket—the largest kind with the big deckle. It’s the most flavorful, least expensive but takes longer to cook and slice. If you’re more of a modernist, go with the first cut brisket. They’re smaller and easier to prepare/slice than whole briskets. Now, if you’re a more sensitive type—an artist perhaps--or just someone that likes to mix things up, consider veal brisket. It’s considerably smaller than beef brisket, easy to cook and has a milder taste. Bottom line on briskets—all are excellent as long as they’re not overcooked. And Mister Brisket will always slice for free any brisket purchased at our store. Incidentally, if you’re reading this newsletter and have never before prepared a brisket, it’s a pot roast. All you need is a metal pan with a lid, some aromatic vegetables and a bit of liquid. You throw it in the oven, walk away and come back several hours later and take it out. It tastes fabulous. We have plenty of brisket recipes and can easily talk you through the process.

Prepared Food Offerings: Every year the number of people that purchase cooked products increases. Here’s a quick look at our heat and eat specialties for the holiday:

Roasted Brisket w/gravy, Roasted Turkey Breasts, Chicken Breasts, Roasted Beef Tenderloin with horseradish sauce, Chicken Soup (plain or with matzo balls), Chopped Liver, Roasted Veal Brisket, Farfel, Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Vegetables, Gefilte Fish and other sides. For more info including cutoff dates for prepared food, other items offered and price fixed meal : http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/rosh.html

. Our new wrinkle for this holiday is the cooked beef tenderloin. Believe it or not, the cost of feeding your family roasted beef tenderloin is not a lot more than brisket. Now, that’s “food for thought.”

Remember—Mister Brisket will ship roasted brisket out-of-state for a reasonable fee. But, we need your orders by Monday, September 22. It’s a nice way to wish “Happy New Year” to loved ones that can’t be with you.

Don’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah? Well, here’s how the holiday works to your advantage. We need cooler space to accommodate all the chicken and briskets that will be arriving over the next few weeks. So, we’re willing to offer great deals to make room. USDA Prime Strips (13.95/lb), Rib/long bone Veal Chops (18.95/lb), Beef Tenderloins (10.95/lb—again!), Thai Sausage (4.99/lb), Chicken Legs (.75/lb), Wing On Chicken Breasts (4.99/lb), Burgers (2.99/lb). If it’s in our coolers or freezer, we need to move it to make room. So, buy some wonderful items now at these sale prices—which we’ll offer until next Wednesday, September 17.

And save money on briskets by ordering now. If you order your first cut briskets by next Wednesday, we’ll give them to you for only $4.50/lb. That’s a savings of 50 cents per pound over what everyone else will pay.

Visitors often complain that the music on our website, the William Tell Overture, plays too loud and is difficult to turn down or off. Well, our website administrator, Bruce Newburger of Dynamics Online, has tended to this problem. The next time you visit, please note the volume control bar prominently displayed near the top of the page. Just use it to adjust the sound accordingly or stop the music.

Happy Anniversary to customers Gloria and Buck Shewitz of Cleveland Heights, who recently celebrated their 59^th wedding anniversary.

One new product we are offering this year is Honey from the Ohio Honey Co. It’s sensational, very good for you and locally produced (the bees all reside within the state). Please consider buying an 8 oz bottle for your holiday table or just to have around the house. It’s a new favorite for my children and goes great on fruit and challah. Ohio Honey is run by Charlie and Lucy Wellhausen. For more info, visit their website, ohiohoney.com

Because Rosh Hashanah falls on a Monday, we will be open Sunday from 9-1 pm for pickups. Deliveries are also possible. Call for info.

For some great bargains, visit our freezer section website link. If you like King Salmon, we have a great deal for you! Here’s the link: http://misterbrisket.com/NewFiles/freezer.html

Browns vs. Steelers takes place this Sunday evening. If you’re planning to tailgate, give us a call. We’ve got great stuff for your grill. And, if you’re watching at home (which is smart because you can turn it off if it gets out of hand), we can also help. Last week, we were deluged with last minute orders for pans of BBQ Brisket. Try to let us know in advance—although we’re always trying to accommodate.

MB NEWS LABOR DAY 2008

Labor Day is upon us. It’s kind of an odd holiday. We’re supposed to be honoring workers but Labor Day arrives at a moment of transition. Summer becomes fall; children are returning to school. And from an agrarian perspective, the tending of crops gives way to the time of harvest. It’s a great weekend to host parties and barbecues. And we’re prepared to make sure that your gathering has the best of the best. Here are a few thoughts for this weekend. Keep in mind that we are open on Saturdays.

Seafood: Jumbo Diver Scallops (15.95), Wild Coho Salmon (14.99), Black Cod (17.99) and Florida Red Snapper (16.95). All our seafood will arrive on Friday morning for Friday and Saturday purchase. Please try to order ahead as we always feel badly when people walk in and ask for an item that has sold out. Other items such as Sea Bass, Tuna and Swordfish are available for special order if you let us know.

Steaks: USDA Prime Strips (14.95), USDA Prime Rib Steaks (10.95), Beef Hangers (8.95) and Beef Skirts (12.95) are in stock. Hangers are delicious but can be a bit chewy. Plan to marinate them if you purchase. Beef Tenderloin Filets also remain available at the very nice price of 11.45/lb.

Burgers, Dogs and Sausages: Our fabulous 12 packs of Hamburger patties (3.49) or 6 packs of Chopped Tenderloin Burgers (4.99) are waiting for your grill. So are our wonderful Turkey Breast Burgers, (5.99) which come in packs of 12 and are made strictly from white meat—with enough fat added to give them some flavor. Remember, grilling our frozen burgers is easy. Place them on a hot grill and leave them on one side until the juices show. Then flip and grill for a few more minutes. We also have plenty of Kurobuta Pork Sausage (5.99) and Thai Sausage (5.99). Both are delicious and taste great by themselves or on a bun. We also have a limited supply of our marvelous Natural Casing Beef Hot Dogs (7.99). These are simply the best hot dogs in the country. If you haven’t had them…..

Poultry: Mister Brisket Chicken Breasts (3.79) tower above all other chicken in terms of quality. They are fresher, have more flavor and are less dry than all other brands of poultry. We also carry Wing On Chicken Breasts (5.99—boneless wt) for those who love the divine chicken they eat at Parallax. We also continue to offer delicious trimmed chicken legs for .99. Not only do they taste great but also it’s a very inexpensive way to enjoy delicious food. We also have available marvelous rotisserie chickens for grill or roast. These three-pound whole chickens come from the same breed as our breasts and are a new item we’re offering.

Deli: If you’re planning a brunch, poolside party or some other informal event, consider our marvelous Corned Beef, Roasted Brisket, Barbecued Brisket, Pastrami, Roasted Turkey or Beef Salami. Our Chicken Salad is tasty as well. We personally prepare everything except the salami and are gaining a national reputation for the quality of these items. Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Don Hermann Dills, Potato Pancakes, Chopped Liver and Cheesecake are also available.

Chopped or Sliced? Our pans of Barbecued Beef Brisket are among the most popular items we sell. In the past, we’d always thinly slice the brisket and coat with our sauce before placing it in a tin. Lately, however, we’ve added a new wrinkle. We recommend having us cut the meat in chunks and then chop with a cleaver for those who are planning to use it for sandwiches. The reason—the chopped brisket mixes more easily with the barbecue sauce, re-heats faster and is easier to place on a bun. The thicker chunks of beef also have a great texture. But, some people prefer it sliced especially those who are planning to serve it as entrée rather than sandwich meat. There are many who also prefer the appearance of thinly sliced brisket for aesthetic reasons. Which one should you choose? It doesn’t matter. Either way, it will be delicious.

The next major set of Holidays to arrive will be the Jewish High Holy Days. Within the next week, we will post information on our website about the various items—raw and prepared—to be offered. Keep an eye on www.misterbrisket.com for updated information including a brief sale on beef briskets.

Also, remember, that one of our most popular items to ship is pans of our delectable brisket with gravy. It’s not too soon to order brisket for 8 or 15 to be shipped to friends, family and loved ones in other states that appreciate hamische holiday food.

I only met Stephanie Tubbs Jones one time. But it was memorable. Her husband had just passed away and a few our customers ordered some prepared brisket and sides for us to deliver to her family. I drove over on a Saturday morning and knocked on the door. Suddenly, the Congresswoman appeared in front of me. She smiled broadly, introduced herself and asked what I had brought. I explained who I was, the company I represented and what my purpose was. She thanked me profusely—as if I was the one that had sent the food—and chatted me up for several minutes. As I walked out the door, she shook my hand and repeatedly expressed her appreciation for the food that others had ordered and purchased. I mentioned that I was also a constituent and she immediately pulled out a business card, told me to visit her website and insisted that I get in touch if she could be of service. She thanked me again and I walked back to my car. As I drove back to the shop, I had conflicting thoughts. I found it odd that someone who had unexpectedly lost her husband could be so chipper. And why pay so much attention to the guy dropping off food at her home? But, I reasoned, she’s a politician. Some of them really do love people. And the more successful among them are very good at connecting with others. Ultimately, I was flattered by the attention even though I knew it was probably just her nature.

I paid a lot more attention to Tubbs Jones after that encounter. And during this election cycle, I noted how she stuck by Hilary Clinton at a time when many initial supporters abandoned her due to the politics of race. That took guts. Stephanie Tubbs Jones arose from nothing to become a judge, county prosecutor and congresswoman. I’d imagine that sticking by your convictions and being kind to others had something to do with it.

MB NEWS 8/15/08

We want to remind you that our Fifty Cents Off sale extends through this Saturday. Everything we carry—other than poultry and seafood items—is discounted 50 cents per pound through this weekend. With the weather as lovely as it’s been, we hope you’ll take advantage and spend the weekend grilling some of the many fine items that are reduced as a result of this sale. Some thoughts: Beef Tenderloin Filets, Beef Rib Steaks, Skirt Steaks, Hanger Steaks, Burgers, Natural Casing Hot Dogs, Thai Sausage, Kurobuta Pork Chops, Briskets, Tenderloin Patties plus all our deli meats….

Another thought for your grill would be Diver Scallops. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of people that have purchased these lovely morsels. These jumbo scallops are still in ample supply and are on sale for $15.95/lb. Had we known how popular they’d prove, we’d have brought them in years ago.

Shipments have remained strong throughout the summer as out-of-state customers continue to pepper us with requests while others use us to send gifts to friends and family throughout the country. This week we’ve filled orders for Jumbo Salamis in Columbus. Another customer in Columbus received Thai Sausage, Turkey Burgers, corned beef and roasted turkey. One woman sent her friend in Pittsburgh a pan of roasted brisket with gravy. Another customer of ours in the sales business sent a client a gift of beef tender filets and Thai sausage. A part-time Clevelander recently had our veal tenderloins at her west side home. She loved them so much we just sent a dozen more to her in Florida (plus some King Salmon). And one of our favorite customers in South Hampton just had another package sent of two-dozen USDA Prime Strip Steaks—2 ½ inches thick.

Catering has also come on strong. We’ve done box lunches for teachers in training, as well as skirt steaks and chicken breasts for a Bar Mitzvah reception. And a block party in South Euclid will be made more festive by our skirt steaks and chicken legs.

If you’re like me, you probably spend as much time as possible watching the games in Beijing. With that thought in mind, here’s my Olympic moment.

I recently took my wife, Kelly, and our children, Hannah and Max to Ann Arbor, Michigan to visit some friends and sightsee. Since our hotel room wasn’t initially ready, we drove to campus to grab a bite to eat. We parked, got out of our car and began walking when I noticed a broad shouldered young guy traveling in the opposite direction. As an ex-wrestler and coach, I recognized him as Andy Hrovat, the former Saint Edwards High School standout, who had recently made the USA Olympic Squad in freestyle wrestling at 185 pounds. Indeed, I’d watched this former Clevelander and Michigan grad win the USA Olympic Trials on the Internet.

With my wife’s encouragement, I ran over to his truck and offered congratulations. Long story short: he got out of his truck and talked to Kelly and me for several minutes. He explained that he’d just returned from the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs and was taking care of a few things before leaving in a few days for Beijing. My children seemed non-plussed. They just wanted Dad to finish talking so we could get some pizza. Hrovat laughed at our kids indifference to meeting an Olympian and then asked if we would like some posters he’d just received of himself and his squad members. He was kind enough to autograph them and gave us each one. Then he drove off.

The following Friday night, my family was watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. As it grew late, we told the kids it was time for bed. But our eight-year-old daughter, Hannah, fought this directive. She insisted that we allow her to stay up late enough to see the Americans march into the stadium. We wanted to know why it was so important for her to see the Americans? “So I can see Andy,” she told us.

I guess she was paying attention.

MB NEWS 8/7/08

There is no truth to the rumor that the Plain Dealer is now found inside boxes of Crackerjacks. But the paper—including the food section--has shrunk considerably since its recent “evolution.” As a result many dining establishments are looking for other outlets to publicize their news and events.

Well, we have a first. Veteran Cleveland restaurateur, Sam Amilla, has decided to use MB News to announce his plans to open a sushi restaurant this fall. The working title is “North Coast Sushi” and the emphasis will be on using strictly local products.

“I’ve been paying attention to this thing about only using food from around here,” stated Amilla. “So, I figured why not do it…but with stuff from Lake Erie.”

Two staples on his new menu will be Pickled Sea Lamprey and Zebra Mussels on the half shell.

“They’re both pests so we’ll get rid of them by eating them.” added Amilla during our discussion of the thumbnail size mussels and the worm-like parasite.

Another likely item you’ll see on the menu: Goldfish. Amilla plans to have a large table set up near the front window filled with the orange fish sitting in individual containers. Whenever a patron orders one, the waiter will hand him a ping-pong ball and escort him to the table. The patron will attempt to land the ping-pong ball in one of the containers. “Whichever container it lands in—that’s his dinner,” announced Amilla. “It’ll be fun—like a carnival.”

But are goldfish local? “You can buy them at a pet store. That’s local enough.”

Look for North Coast Sushi to open on East 4^th street sometime in early December.

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Mister Brisket announces our first ever 50 cents sale. The premise is simple: Almost every item we sell will be available between now and a week from Saturday—August 16—for 50 cents less per pound than current pricing. Example: Beef Tenderloins, currently priced at $11.95/lb, can be purchased for $11.45/lb. So, here’s a list of popular items and their sale prices: Burgers (3.49/2.99), Natural Casing and Jumbo Hot Dogs (7.99/7.49), Thai Sausage (5.99/5.49), Turkey Burgers (5.99/5.49), Beef Skirt Steaks (12.95/12.45), Beef Hanger Steaks (8.95/8.45), USDA Prime Strips (14.95/14.45), Kurobuta Pork Chops (11.95/11.45), First Cut Briskets (4.50/4), Chicken Legs (.99/.49). Also, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Brisket, BBQ Brisket, Roasted Turkey and Beef Salami will all be discounted 50 cents per pound at the deli. Sandwiches, however, will remain at their same prices. Other items that will not be included are chicken breasts and fresh seafood. To repeat—most store items will be on sale for 50 cents off per pound between now and one week from Saturday. This is a great time to buy and save significantly.

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Congratulations to Frederique Bruell on winning the WOSGA Amateur Golf Championship at Elyria Country Club on Friday, July 25. This annual event pits the top women amateurs in Ohio against each other in match play. Frederique, a twenty year old senior-to-be at Elon College, is the daughter of Zack and Laurie Bruell, owners of Parallax restaurant. It’s worth noting that Frederique was raised on Mister Brisket chicken breasts and brisket. Nor does it hurt that Zack is also a near scratch golfer.

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Mister Brisket’s store at 2156 S. Taylor has seen a lot of out-of-town visitors over the last few weeks. We’ve had a variety of people stop in from locales as far flung as Maine, Brazil, Santa Monica, Washington DC, Yuma, Santa Fe and Vancouver. How do they end up at Mister Brisket? Simple, they’re either former Clevelanders visiting town or they’re visiting friends in Cleveland that want to take them somewhere unique. One of the visitors whose acquaintance we were pleased to make was John Kieser, General Manager of the San Francisco Symphony. In another musician related connection, we spent a recent Saturday hosting a group from Brooklyn, that were directed to our store by Marc Damoulakis, percussionist for the Cleveland Orchestra, and his wife, Samantha, a former performer with the Miami City Ballet. The group included Samantha’s father, Steve Basford, plus his friends Calvin Smith, Ted Tedesco and William Long. Bottom line: They loved our pastrami and brisket. And if you can please a group of New Yorkers, you know the food is good.

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I’ve never considered myself a foodie but I’m feeling proud of my son, Max, age 5, after a recent incident at a friend’s home. It was lunchtime and Eliana LeVine, mom of Max’s buddy, Rylan, served the kids noodles with butter. “I don’t like this sauce,” Max commented after a single bite. “Would you make me some pesto?”

Max and his mom, my wife, Kelly Kornblut, make fresh pesto together on a weekly basis.

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Happy Anniversary to Diane (Dinny) and Dr. Ron Bell. The “Art Dealer and the Two Wheeler” recently celebrated number 54 with Mister Brisket Veal Chops. We congratulate them on their good taste and achieving this milestone.

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We’re Always Shipping—unless you pick it up instead. Thanks to former Clevelanders Mary-Lynn Dickman Engel and Sam Dickman for nabbing a few dozen USDA Prime Rib Steaks on their way back home to Maine. Similar Kudos to Janet Baum, daughter of Iris and Gerald Zahler, who took a variety of frozen goodies—chicken breasts, skirt steaks, burgers, roasted brisket and rib steaks—back home to Texas.

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If you are receiving this email in error, please request to be deleted from this email list. On the other hand, pass it along, if you feel moved to do so.

Also, if you are a customer with any news to share, please drop us an email or call. We’re always looking for things to print about our friends. We’ll gladly publicize your charitable events as well.

Similarly, if you are in the food business and have a special event to publicize, feel free to let us know. This newsletter reaches several thousand influential greater Clevelanders as well as people across the country.

Remember, Every Monday we offer large Corned Beef Sandwiches for only 5.95. That’s the best lunch deal in town.

For Current Pricing and other info: www.misterbrisket.com

Mister Brisket, 2156 S. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, Oh. 44118

216-932-8620

Purveyors of premium quality meats, prepared foods and world class deli.

Hours Monday and Saturdays 9-3, Tues thru Friday 9-5, closed Sundays

MB NEWS 7/22/08

Mister Brisket celebrates a significant anniversary this month. Our deli operation turns two. It may have seemed like a natural outgrowth of our business but it required a sizeable investment. We had to put in a new floor, new counter, add a stainless steel backdrop and buy a Berkel, the best deli meat slicer in the world.

Essentially we were beginning a new business. We were transforming ourselves from primarily a butcher shop specializing in home delivery into a significantly larger operation involving prepared foods and sandwich making. For example, we thought we knew how to cook corned beef. But when you have to do it daily and utilize a method—baking--with which you’re unfamiliar, it becomes a challenge to turn out a consistently good product. We had to learn how to cook it to proper doneness as well as how to properly heat and slice. We also had to learn a new method for cooking briskets since the convection oven we were using did not work well with metal roasting pans. The briskets kept turning out undercooked and that was the one thing we thought would be easy.

Other challenges abounded. How much bread do you buy? From whom do you buy it? How do you keep it fresh? How do you consistently make good sandwiches? What size should they be? What should we charge? What should we put on them? How many people does it take to run the deli? How many people do we need to prepare for? How much product needs to be ready on a daily basis? What should our hours of operation be? These are just some of the many aspects of our new business that had to be figured out quickly if we were to have success once we opened. And like any business venture, no amount of preparation could get us ready for the actual day-to-day challenges we faced. We had to learn by actually running the deli and that took a lot of hard work. Tempers flared at times; everyone was learning new roles. And everyone was working harder.

To our credit, we seem to have done more things right than wrong. We made a point of wanting the food to be consistently good. And we treated our customers with respect. The results have been solid. A week-to-week comparison shows consistent growth from year one to year two. And the deli food is the best it’s ever been. Indeed, I’d compare our brisket, pastrami, corned beef and barbecued beef favorably with any spot in the country.

Still, challenges remain. We didn’t get into the deli business because we loved the idea of working harder. Frankly, as a small business specializing in quality food, we needed to branch off in a second direction. We saw the deli as a way to expose ourselves to new customers for our butcher shop. Indeed, the deli has led to a large increase in walk-in trade. And the deli, of course, has positively impacted our bottom line. But the costs of everything are on the rise. Cleaning supplies, paper goods, utilities, food products, health care—all seem to be inexorably marching forward. So, the need for growth in sales continues unabated.

The bottom line is that we’ve added a new business to our operation and run it successfully. We’re proud that we’ve managed to do it. We stayed true to our fundamentals—quality and service—in order to accomplish it. If you’re a deli customer, we thank you. And if you haven’t tried us out yet, we hope you will.

We’ve received raves from many of you regarding our Diver Scallops. These delectable scallops are very large—8 to a pound—and reasonably priced at $15.95/lb. They’re also great on the grill. We currently are stocking them so give them a try while the availability exists. Incidentally, the name “diver” literally means that they’re harvested off the bottom of the ocean by scuba divers.

Another great bargain at this moment is our Beef Hanger Steaks for $8.99/lb. Hangers are tender and very modestly priced for the quality of the product. If you like flank or skirts, you’ll love hangers. Also, enjoy them on the menu at Parallax, which does an incredible job preparing them.

Beef Tenderloins continue to remain priced lower than expected considering the rising cost of many food items. Ours have risen slightly to $11.95/lb but remain an excellent buy. Purchase two or more and Sanford will reluctantly push the price back down to $10.95/lb.

For Current pricing and other info, visit www.misterbrisket.com and scroll down to current pricing.

Would you like two first class round trip tickets to Paris? How about a guided tour of the Louvre, lunch at Jules Verne atop the Eiffel Tower and dinner aboard Bateau Parisens? Well, if this sounds good, purchase one of the four hundred raffle tickets being sold for $100 apiece as part of a fundraiser at the Shoreby Club on Tuesday, July 29 to benefit Rainbow Babies and Children’s hospital. The raffle tickets are just part of the evenings festivities which also includes a French Wine tasting. If you’re interested in purchasing one of the raffle tickets or attending this wonderful event, contact chairperson Kim Diemert at 216-973-9859 or email krdiemert@abcglobal.net. Please contact Kim by July 26. Incidentally, attendees will have an opportunity to dine on a variety of fine foods including Mister Brisket’s brisket with gravy. We’re proud to participate in this wonderful cause and thank Joan Venaleck for bringing it to our attention.

Tidbits: Congratulations to Alia Wechsler, daughter of Caryn and Steve, and granddaughter of the late Ambassador Milton and Mrs. Roslyn Wolf, on her recent marriage to Travis Gorkin. Alia’s picture once graced an edition of our old newsletter, The Brisket Times…..Elaine Ciccora reports to us of some great dining opportunities available at Crop Bistro in the Warehouse district. Every Thursday, Chef/Owner Steve Schimoler sets up his grill outdoors from 5-7pm and offers a variety of cheap eats such as lamb sliders or tacos with shrimp. Cocktails are also on special during this time. Also, Crop offers a Prix Fixe meal every Sunday from 5-9pm. Enjoy a family style salad bowl, warm corn bread, a variety of entrée selections and desert from pastry chef, Olena Gudz. For more info, call 216-774-0056….A Fundraiser for Annie Chiu, the chef/owner of Sun Luck Garden who is facing a medical emergency, will be held at Sarava’s at Shaker Square, Monday, July 28, from 6-9pm. The event will feature a “Who’s Who” of area chefs offering up a variety of specialties. Cost will be $50 per person and includes live music by the Joe Hunter Trio. For more info, contact event organizer, Sergio Abramoff, at 216-295-1200….For the fourth consecutive year, Mister Brisket will be providing boxed lunches for the Ron Kornblut Memorial Golf Outing on Monday, July 28. The golf outing, which has been in existence since 1996, benefits the Ireland Cancer Center. The event is run each year by Taub and Joan Kornblut in memory of their son, Ronnie, who passed away in 1997. The Kornblut Family has raised nearly $200, 000 over the last twelve years.

Finally, here’s a reminder that a great opportunity to learn about our steaks now exists on youtube.com Just go and search for misterbrisket and our videos will pop up. This video gives great insight into how many of our most popular cuts of meat are processed. Plus, there is great information offered that may be of interest. To watch our videos, go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=iQwqV2fv1Tw

MB NEWS 7/11/08

Recapping July 4^th Holiday would be simple. Just one word—Briskets. Yes, we sold lots of burgers, dogs and USDA Prime Rib Steaks on sale. Lots of Thai Sausage too. But the biggest surprise of the holiday weekend was the volume of Whole Briskets that were purchased for the purpose of smoking. Typical was patent attorney, Marv Union, who explained to me that he was “indulging a fantasy” to smoke meats. Union uses cherry wood that grows on his property in Novelty to enhance the flavor of our heavily marbled, deckle attached briskets.

The irony is that the market for whole briskets—different from the smaller first cuts in that they have the full fat cap still attached—shriveled up around ten years ago. As the elder Jewish matriarchs that used to cook them for holidays passed the task on to their daughters, the younger women switched to the smaller brisket flats. The flats are leaner—which appealed to the more health conscious younger generation—as well as easier to cook and slice. But, they’re not as flavorful.

Now, thanks to the cooking channels and the ensuing popularity of smoking meats, the sale of whole briskets, also known as “packers cut”, has surged. And the purchasers of these briskets are no longer women of eastern European descent, that scrutinize the trimming and slicing of their roasts like a strict school marm. They’re typically men with smokers in their backyard, who, as Union put it, are indulging a fantasy.

Who’d have thought Mister Brisket would help so many men’s dreams come true?

Post holiday Is Often a great time to purchase products. That’s certainly true at Mister Brisket. We have our Jumbo Beef Hot Dogs—a full half-pound—on sale for 6.99/lb.

Have You Ever Wondered how some of the delicious steaks we sell are trimmed, cut and packaged? Are you interested in what goes on behind the scenes at Mister Brisket? Then, you’ll love the film we put together for you and recently put on youtube. Lindsey Reilly, talented daughter of Mike and Fiona, recently came to our store with her camera and shot a terrific little feature on how we process some of our most popular steaks. The link is http://youtube.com/watch?v=iQwqV2fv1Tw It’s a three part series so give yourself plenty of time to watch. Thanks to Lindsey for doing a terrific job. And kudos to meat cutter, John Jenkins, for the fine work he did in his first starring role. Incidentally, we have several features on youtube.com Just go to the site and search for Mister Brisket to find our videos.

Tidbits: Congrats to PD food editor, Joe Crea, for receiving an honorable mention in statewide press competition for his article, “Malt Whiskey: The Water of Life.”… Elaine Cicora, the award winning food writer for Scene Magazine, has moved on as a consequence of the papers merger with Free Times. Elaine has taken a position with the popular Crop Bistro and Bar in the warehouse district. Chef/Owner Steve Schimoler has hired her to help with a number of marketing and publicity related duties. Elaine has been a warm friend to us—as well as a huge fan our pastrami--and we wish her well in this endeavor…Terra Madre, NE Ohio’s Slow Food Organization, will be holding a Bastille Day celebration on Monday, July 14, from 6:30-9:30pm at Bar Cento on W. 25^th street. A host of Cleveland’s finest chefs will be cooking including: Michael Symon, Paul Minnillo, Doug Katz as well as Bar Cento chef/owner, Jonathan Sawyer. Cost will be $40 per person with proceeds benefiting Slow Food of northeast Ohio. For more info, contact Linda Griffith at hotcookLG@hotmail.com

Want To See A Nice Picture of Sanford? Go to http://www.northernohiolive.com/ and check out their summer grilling feature. Mister Brisket was prominently mentioned as a “great protein source” and Sanford took one of his better photos. There’s an even handsomer pic of one of our delicious skirt steaks. Just scroll down the page and click on the link for the summer grilling article.

We’re Still Shipping: This week customers in Cincinnati, The Sea Ranch (California) and Tiffin, Ohio have received goodies from Mister Brisket. To send food throughout the continental United States (hint: someone you know must deserve a great deal on beef tenderloin steaks), just call us at 216-932-8620 or drop us an email. In addition, we’re open every Saturday from 9-3 so call or just stop in.

Mister Brisket, 2156 S. Taylor, Cleveland Hts 216-932-8620

Mondays and Saturdays 9-3, Tues thru Friday 9-5

www.misterbrisket.com

Some people eat food. Others like to play with it. For a great look at our natural casing hot dogs, Copper River King Salmon and sliced off-the-bone turkey, we suggest a visit to a blog by Nancy Heller. Heller, an attorney, loves good food and indulges her considerable writing and photography skills to document this passion. For a better idea, go to http://funplayingwithfood.blogspot.com/ . Scroll down the page to get to our stuff.

Caroline in the Deli sounds like the title of an old sitcom. But in our case, it signifies a recent visit to our store by one of the best young violin players in the world, Caroline Goulding. Goulding came for a sandwich along with her pals, Cleveland Orchestra viola player, Mark Jackobs, and his beau, pianist Alicja Basinska. Goulding, age 15, moved to Cleveland with her family several years ago so she could train at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She has performed with some of the best orchestras in the world (including Cleveland) and appeared on national television. Goulding brought with her a prized possession, her Stradivarius, one of the finest and most expensive violins in the world. She allowed Sanford to hold it—which he did as if he were grabbing a brisket to throw in a roasting pan. Mark Jackobs quickly informed Sanford that a gentler touch was necessary for the rare treasure in his hands. He complied. To learn more about Caroline, including a chance to hear her play, go to carolinegoulding.com

Of equal importance—she loved the corned beef.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sheri Grossman, one of the loveliest people we’ve known during our thirty plus years in business. Sheri was unfailingly warm, kind and unselfish. Although she had battled health issues, it was never her style to complain. She visited us often at the store and seeing her always left us with a smile. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends.

Author, Author is what we’re yelling in order to draw your attention to the Beachwood Library Book Fair, which will showcase work by twenty-two local authors. Of course, our favorite is Frances Herskovitz, aka Mrs. Brisket, who’s fabulous Fanny of Stratford Court will be one of the featured titles. The event will take place on July 19, from 1-4pm, at 25501 Shaker Blvd. Incidentally, Fanny, will be part of the curriculum for 7^th graders next year at The Agnon School.

For More Complete Pricing Info: www.misterbrisket.com

Call/Email to order. 216-932-8620

June 11, 2008

Gotta love opening up this mornings PD Food Section and seeing a big article on steak. It’s great timing for us because we’re continuing to sell USDA Prime Rib Steaks for 9.95/lb. The best steak in the world for 9.95 is a steal! We’ve really plowed through our stock so supplies are limited. Interesting how we’ve been telling you for the last several weeks that Dad Loves Steak and suddenly that’s the PD’s lead for the Food Section. Coincidence? Who cares?

Speaking of steak we’ve finally gotten a nice supply of Beef Skirts in stock. Skirt Steak is a delicious, modestly priced cut that tastes like it should cost twice the price. If you’re looking for a great red meat fix and want to eschew the rib steak, skirt, at 11.95/lb (totally trimmed), is a nice way to go. Also, we have Hanger Steaks and Flat Iron Steaks. So, one way or another, we’ll have tasty steaks for you for this glorious weekend.

The reviews are in and the Copper River King Salmon we brought in last week has earned raves. It’s just incredibly tasty and not as expensive as you think. Although the price is around 32 bucks a pound, it really costs about $16 per portion—or less—depending upon how much you eat. That’s the same cost as what you’d pay for a USDA Prime Strip or Rib Steak on the thicker side. And it’s a steal compared to what you’d pay to go out for dinner and eat the same piece of fish. And, here’s more good news…we’ll have more Copper River King Salmon this week—probably Thursday. If you missed out on the first round, place your order now. Keep in mind, when we discuss Copper River Salmon, we are speaking specifically of King Salmon. Other species cost much less and have a lot less flavor. If you see Copper River Salmon on sale at your grocery store, find out what species it is. It’s probably Sockeye and it’s nothing like King.

Do you love tomatoes? If so, you’re probably upset over the recent recall due to salmonella. Here’s a recommendation—call or email our customer and friend, Courtney Mcleod. Courtney grows organic heirloom vegetables—tomatoes, beans, cabbages, carrots, radishes, beets and greens--in Middlefield. In addition, she has a wide variety of fresh herbs. “Heirloom” means that the vegetable is open pollinated, meaning it will grow true to type from seed. By contrast, most supermarket veggies are hybrids. “Heirloom” seeds pre-date WWII and may be much older. Hence, they yield a more natural growth. While it’s still a bit early for tomatoes, it’s not too soon to contact Courtney to find out how you can purchase some of her other fabulous products—and reserve some tomatoes. She can be reached at 440-632-9553 or via her email: sunmoonriver@windstream.net

Our Shipping Business remains brisk. We’ve got chicken breasts heading to one customer near Cincinnati while another in SW Ohio is getting brisket w/gravy and potato pancakes. We have chicken breasts and beef tenderloin heading to Bay View, Michigan. Rib Steaks are on their way to Waukesha, Wisconsin. A customer in Alexandria, Va will be receiving Rib Steaks, Burgers and Natural Casing Hot Dogs. We have Tony, Dave, Eric and Tim in Naperville, Illinois getting a lot of Kurobuta Pork Chops and Rib Steaks. And a caterer in Broomall, Pa will be receiving Thai Sausage for a wedding reception. And I love that a gentleman from Conroe, Texas called yesterday to arrange for his father in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood to receive a Roasted Brisket for Father’s Day.

So, who’s the famous person that recently stopped by our store? And what was the famous item that they brought to show us? We’re going to wait one more week to let you know as we have a picture to include but haven’t quite figured out how to send this newsletter with photos. But here’s a hint: what’s one of Sanford’s major interests besides food?

The Famous Slogan for the National Beef Council has always been: “Beef--Its Whats For Dinner.” But, maybe they should change the dinner part to breakfast. Why? Because this Monday we shipped them Thai Sausage, Beef Bacon and Pepper Beef (pastrami) for a series of morning meals they will be hosting all week. Our former employee, Scott Musel, moved to Colorado two weeks ago and joined his sister, Michelle, who already works for the NBC. We were pleasantly shocked to receive this order and hope to continue the relationship in the future.

Our condolences to long-time customer, Mary Jane Chapman, of Highland Heights, on the passing of her husband, C. William.

Gift Certificates for Father’s Day remain a great idea. Feel free to purchase them for either dollar amounts or specific product.

Not just another pretty face is Hannah Kornblut (my daughter) whose photo was featured in last Friday’s Cleveland Jewish News. If you receive the CJN, look for the article on the recent musical production at Agnon School. Hannah’s pretty face also graced her school’s newsletter, The Agnon Agenda, in an article devoted to the school’s “Come As A Superhero” theme day. Hannah won the admiration of the faculty by eschewing Wonderwoman and Batman costumes to dress up as Anne Frank.

Current Prices on Commonly Stocked Items Per Pound:

Copper River King Salmon 32.95

Beef Tenderloin 11.95

Rib Steaks 9.95

Hanger Steaks 9.95

Skirt Steaks 11.95

Flat Iron Steaks 9.95/lb

Burgers 3.49

Thai Sausage 5.99

Kurobuta Italian Pork Sausage 5.99

Kurobuta Pork Chops 10.95

Loin Lamb Chops 7.99

Chix Breasts 3.75

Chix Legs .75

Italian Fryers 3.49

Whole Briskets 3.99

First Cut Briskets 4.50

Jumbo Beef Hot Dogs 7.99

Natural Casing Hot Dogs 7.99

To order or just shoot the breeze…216-932-8620

www.misterbrisket.com

ps. Good luck this weekend in the Olympic Wrestling Trials to two great Ohio competitors: Tom Rowlands (120 kilos, freestyle) and Harry Lester, (66 kilos, Greco Roman). Both are favored to earn spots on this year's USA Olympic Wrestling Squad

Mister Brisket, Inc. 2156 S. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio

1/22

1/8/09

MB NEWS—CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER SALE

MB NEWS MID OCTOBER 2008

MB NEWS: ROSH HASHANAH

MB NEWS LABOR DAY 2008

MB NEWS 8/15/08

MB NEWS 8/7/08

Remember, Every Monday we offer large Corned Beef Sandwiches for only 5.95. That’s the best lunch deal in town.

For Current Pricing and other info: www.misterbrisket.com

Mister Brisket, 2156 S. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, Oh. 44118

MB NEWS 7/22/08

MB NEWS 7/11/08

Mister Brisket, 2156 S. Taylor, Cleveland Hts 216-932-8620

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	Mister Brisket^® The Highest Quality Meat, Poultry & Seafood Delivered Right To Your Door! 2156 South Taylor Road • Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 (216) 932-8620 • Fax (216) 321-6556 • Toll Free • 1-877-BRISKET (274-7538) E-Mail Your Order to Mister Brisket: misterbrisket@earthlink.net

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