Portraits of Belleville: Mme. la Bouchère

Meet our local butcher, whom we consistently choose over all the other options. We're not on a first-name basis yet (we're still at the "ça va?" "oui, et vous?" phase) but hopefully someday we will be, because this woman is kind of amazing. She has many children - we've heard 5 - and works pretty much non-stop at her boucherie. Until a few weeks ago, her husband ran a small grocery specializing in Middle Eastern ingredients (called Épicerie Le Caire) right across the street. That store had to close because rent was going up, and our butcher organized a petition drive among locals to try to reverse the rent hike.

Sure, we could go elsewhere, but this bouchère has us hooked. Reasonable prices, a good selection, everything is halal (no pork!), and best of all, service with a great big heartwarming smile.