The Best Sandwiches You Haven’t Tried Are At Darke Pines

To its faithful customers, local butcher shop Darke Pines is the go-to spot for sustainable meats and fresh produce. But what you may not know is that Darke Pines is also serving the area’s best sandwiches.

We started doing hot sandwiches a few months ago on weekends, says co-owner Will Messmer. Messmer’s wife and co-owner, Erica Messmer, is spearheading the sandwich menu, which currently includes four sandwiches stacked high with the shop’s house-made deli cuts.

• Smoked Ham: with pimento cheese and dill pickle on sourdough
• Roast Beef: with horseradish cream, balsamic-braised shallots, and basil on sourdough
• Nana’s Chicken Salad: with red grapes and romaine on a cornetto
• Mortadella: with pickled mustard seeds and mayo on ciabatta

Picking the right bread for a sandwich can be tricky, so Darke Pines turned to neighboring Enna Bakery for their house-made breads.

“Enna’s sourdough bread is fantastic and makes a huge difference in a sandwich,” says Messmer. The bread’s exterior packs a substantial crust with a soft, chewy center that’s perfect for any sandwich.

They also make these cornettos, which are Italian croissants that we use for our chicken salad sandwich, says Messmer.

The sandwiches ($9.99/each) are available any day of the week. Currently, Darke Pines is only serving cold sandwiches, but they may offer hot sandwiches in the future. Also planned is a savory bread pudding, which can be made with their smoked ham or smoked bacon.

Butchery Classes & Tastings

Sandwiches are just part of the new offerings at Darke Pines. The shop is also offering butchery classes that teach customers everything there is to know about cutting, preparing, and cooking chicken, beef, and pork.

For our chicken class, our head butcher demonstrates how to break down a chicken and then we give every person their own chicken to break down.

“It’s cheaper per pound if you buy a whole chicken and you get to use every single part of it,” says Messmer.

Meanwhile, Darke Pines’ beef class is all demonstration with a tasting menu component. As the shop’s head butcher shows you how to break down the chuck prime of the beef, we cook those cuts for you and serve them.

“We’re serving flat iron steak, shoulder brisket burgers, and smoked brisket so you can taste it as you’re watching the demo,” says Messmer.

In the future, Messmer says they may offer a sausage-making class as well as a steak-cooking class. All of the classes are accompanied by light bites and cocktails/wine. Prices range from $75/pp for the chicken class to $115/pp for the beef class/tasting.

Darke Pines Cuts Now At Oak on Pine & Frankie

The butcher shop isn’t the only place where you can find Darke Pine’s grass-fed meats.

We’ve been reaching out to restaurants locally and recently partnered with The Oak on Pine for a collaboration, says Messmer. They’ve added the “Darke Pines Burger” to their menu, which is made with a special ground beef blend that we make exclusively for them.

We’re also working with Rowan McDermott at Frankie and we’re going to start supplying ground lamb for his restaurant, says Messmer. A sausage collaboration between Darke Pines and Frankie is also in the works.

Outside of the local collaborations, Darke Pines recently added delivery as an option for customers who can’t make it to the shop. Orders can be called or e-mailed in and customers can schedule their delivery or opt for same-day delivery. Orders are fulfilled via Mercato.

Next month, Darke Pines will celebrate its 1-year anniversary. Although the Messmers are still planning the celebration, customers can expect a few tasty surprises from the shop, including Darke Pines hot dogs.