Albanese Meats & Poultry

Albanese Meats and Poultry Celebrates 100 Years of Butcher Shop | Eater NY

"When I step into Albanese Meats & Poultry on Elizabeth Street in Little Italy, I’m met with a century of family-run charm: a display case of bone-in rib-eye, whole chickens, and Italian sausages; boxes of dried pasta and even fake sausages by Yuki & Daughters dangling from the windows and poles; and walls dotted with postcards, old photographs, painted portraits, faded newspaper clippings, mint-green paint, bright red brick, and a timeless collection of vintage butcher supplies that felt like their own little museum. Jennifer Prezioso, the fourth-generation butcher who now runs the shop alone, chats with customers about Tuscan-style pâtés, pork rinds, and salumi, hands a regular their standard-order duck breast, and worries aloud about how to let people enjoy the space while helping the store make money. The shop’s history — opened by Vincenzo Albanese after immigrating from Sicily, stewarded by her great-grandmother Mary and later by the late Moe “the Butcher” Albanese, who famously coaxed customers into trying his “gotcha” rib-eye — is woven into every corner, and the store has appeared in documentaries, New York historical food tours, and productions like The Godfather Part III and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Despite a devoted community of longtime and new customers who praise the freshness and character of the meat, the shop faces real financial hurdles: it doesn’t own the building, lacks commercial rent stabilization, and competes with delivery services and big grocery chains. Prezioso has been learning the trade from Moe, rebuilding operations, filming for Instagram, and planning new initiatives — tote bags, meal kits, and reimagining the space for events and pop-ups — even as she quietly marked the shop’s 100th year and hesitated to throw a big celebration for fear of bad luck. Ultimately, I found the place to be a bright, living link to Little Italy’s past and a community hub that Prezioso is trying to sustain for the future." - Jess Eng

NYC Coronavirus Deaths in Restaurants and Bars: Those We’ve Lost | Eater NY

"A Little Italy butcher shop started by his parents in 1923 and later run by Moe Albanese, the shop was beloved for warmth, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail—its porterhouse rib‑eye was once called one of the best in the city—and it gained renewed recognition as the butcher shop featured in the TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; the granddaughter plans to take over once the family can reopen." - Robert Sietsema

Coronavirus in NYC: Little Italy Butcher Moe Albanese Dies Due to COVID-19 | Eater NY

"A beloved fixture on Elizabeth Street in Little Italy, Albanese Meats & Poultry was opened by Moe Albanese’s parents in 1923; his mother grew up on the block and his father emigrated from Sicily, and Moe learned his butchering skills from his mother. Customers remembered him for his warmth, thoughtfulness, and meticulous attention to detail, and critics such as Robert Sietsema once pondered whether Albanese’s porterhouse ribeye was the best in the city. His granddaughter Jennifer Prezioso worked with him and helped modernize the business, and the shop even appeared in a few episodes of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as the butcher shop the lead frequents. The shop has been closed since the March 16 shutdown, and after Moe’s death at 95 from complications related to COVID-19 neighbors have left flowers, candles, and letters in front of the entrance as a makeshift memorial." - Tanay Warerkar

Trader Joe’s May Open in Long Island City in Queens, NYC | Eater NY

"In Nolita, Albanese Meats & Poultry is one of the real-life stops on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel NYC tour, appearing as Lutzi’s Butcher Shop on the show." - Tanay Warerkar

Most underrated butcher in New York (source of the best strip steak at Mission)