Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine's Dara Moskowitz-Grumdahl brings her extensive knowledge of the Midwest dining scene to Eating and Drinking.

Although people tend to go to many different places for different kinds of food items, supermarkets tend to be the place most people tend to buy meat, but the Twin Cities is seeing an emergence of dedicated meat shops. "They're making a comeback," Dara says. "Our great-grandparents, they would go to the butcher shop."

For those wishing to try purchasing meat at a meat market, even if it costs a bit more, Dara offers a tip. "If you want an apples-to-apples comparison … just get the thing you mostly get," Dara says.

Meat markets tend to specialize in pork chops, steaks, and other meat cuts for prestige holidays. Several also make fresh sandwiches. Here are three area meat markets Dara described:

Clancey's Meats and Fish — Minneapolis

The St. Paul Meat Shop — St. Paul, Minn.

Lowry Hill Meats — Minneapolis (opening soon)

Dara Moskowitz-Grumdahl, veteran Twin Cities food and dining authority, is a five-time James Beard Award-Winning food writer who is also at Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine and author of Drink This: Wine Made Simple.