After getting hitched in Connecticut in early August, Posada and Nakamura -- nicknamed Lindy and Grundy, respectively -- headed to L.A., stopping in Santa Barbara to celebrate with a "nose-to-tail"-themed wedding party, where the tables were marked by beef cuts instead of numbers. (Their single friends from New York were placed at the "strip steak" table.)
Their West Hollywood storefront won't sell any meat unless they have been allowed to tour the farm where the animal was raised and the slaughterhouse where it was killed. They will source their beef from a few select California ranches, including Santa Barbara County's Rancho San Julian, for which they helped line up a mobile slaughter unit.
"We are big proponents of it because that way the animals don't have to travel to slaughter," Posada says. "There's much less stress."
The Applestones are consulting on the Lindy & Grundy venture, helping with such tasks as finding a branding manager and scouting slaughterhouses. The store is being financed mostly through family investors and personal loans.
"On the most basic level, what they are doing is something that people are really looking for, especially these days," Jessica Applestone says. "The fact that they are smart, sassy and chicks with knives doesn't hurt."
Their storefront will take cues from Fleisher's old New York vibe, but the design will have a distinct sense of their '50s-inspired personal style. Posada, who studied journalism and has a background in interior design, will craft window displays. Other design elements include walls covered in subway tiles and floor-to-ceiling chicken-wire glass windows lining the corridor from the retail space to the walk-in cooler, which will allow customers to view the women breaking down animals.
The shop is a family effort. Posada's cousin Gabrielle Shelton is designing the meat rail that will guide the carcasses to the walk-in on hooks attached to tracks on the ceiling, as well as cleaver-shaped sconces that will line the walls. Posada's grandfather will install the refrigerator.
They'll also have a commercial smoker, where they'll do their house-cured bacon, pastrami and pork chops.
Aside from the obligatory glass meat cases, the retail area at Lindy & Grundy will showcase the butchers in their chain-mail aprons, breaking down animals at their butcher block. They'll also sell a variety of prepared foods, including dishes such as tamales, pot pies, stocks and chili made from family recipes. They plan to carry 25 to 30 California cheeses, for which they're taking votes on Twitter.
"This is a new food movement," Nakamura says. "It feels like we're making a contribution, and that's really awesome."
food@latimes.com
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Sustainable meat and poultry sellers
Here are other places where you can buy sustainable meat and poultry products.
Lindner Bison
This family-owned Valencia ranch raises grass-fed bison. It practices sustainable agriculture and humane animal husbandry. Lindner has a stall at the Santa Monica farmer's market.
klindner@lindnerbison.com; (661) 254-0200; www.lindnerbison.com.
Kendor Farm
Kendor Farm, located in the San Fernando Valley, sells free-range, organic chickens and eggs. They are available at the Calabasas, Encino, Hollywood and Peninsula Center farmers markets.
17344 Vanowen St., Lake Balboa; (818) 774-0755; www.kendorfarms.com.
McCall's Meat & Fish
McCall's sells pork and beef from sustainably raised animals and sources Berkshire pigs from Reride Ranch in Lake Hughes. ( It sells meat from animals not raised sustainably as well.)
2117 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz; (323) 667-0674; www.mccallsmeatandfish.com.
Salt's Cure
Salt's Cure has all California-raised meats on the menu. Chef-owners Chris Phelps and Zak Walters visit the farms to ensure fair treatment of animals and plan to have the butcher-case portion of their store running within six months.
7494 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; (323) 850-7258; www.saltscure.com.
Rocky Canyon Farm
Rocky Canyon travels to the Hollywood farmers market from Atascadero, Calif., to sell its pasture-range, grass-fed cattle and pigs.
Hollywood farmers market, at Selma and Ivar, Hollywood; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
