This Nebraska Italian Market Stocks Piedmontese Beef, Fresh Focaccia And Ground Kangaroo Most Grocery Stores Never Carry
Ground kangaroo has turned up in the freezer case of a Nebraska butcher shop. It sits a few steps from beef raised from an Italian heritage breed.
I can’t think of a better reason to rethink a weekly grocery run.
The beef is the real headliner here. It comes from Piedmontese cattle, a breed with roots in northern Italy, raised on open Nebraska plains.
The cuts are hand-trimmed, and they’re raised without added hormones or antibiotics.
Then the bread enters the picture. An in-house bakery turns out focaccia, and the cooler holds gelato in flavors like pistachio and burnt sugar vanilla bean.
I like how one stop can cover dinner, dessert and tomorrow’s sandwich.
So where exactly does a cattle company open an Italian market? The answer sits on the edge of a familiar Nebraska city.
An Italian-Style Butcher Shop Built By A Nebraska Beef Company
The Mercato – Certified Piedmontese is a butcher shop and specialty market in north Lincoln. It’s the retail home of Certified Piedmontese, the company behind a very particular kind of Nebraska beef.
Think of it as part meat counter, part Italian pantry, part bakery case. The shop calls its style chef-driven and home-inspired, which fits the mix on the shelves.
Steaks get top billing, naturally. But the shelves also carry house-made pasta, sauces, cheeses and other ingredients that can be hard to find elsewhere in the state.
That variety is the whole point. The market was built to give shoppers direct access to the company’s beef, plus the kind of extras that make a steak dinner feel complete.
Lincoln shoppers have more than one door to choose from now. Additional Mercato stores operate in south and east Lincoln, and another serves West Omaha.
The north Lincoln shop is the flagship, though. It’s also where the company bakery lives, which matters more than you’d think once the focaccia comes up.
For a butcher shop, that’s a lot of personality packed under one roof. And the freezer case still has a surprise or two waiting.
A Labor Day Weekend Opening On A Working Beef Campus
Labor Day weekend 2020 brought Lincoln a brand-new kind of meat market. Certified Piedmontese opened The Mercato right on its main campus, not in some far-off strip mall.
That campus does serious work behind the scenes. It holds cold storage, processing centers and the company’s corporate offices.
So the steak in the case hasn’t exactly traveled the world to get there. The retail counter sits alongside the operation that handles the beef in the first place.
I love that setup for a Nebraska food story. A cattle brand known far beyond the state decided to open its front door to the neighbors.
The idea grew from there. Plans for a West Omaha location were in the works by early 2023, and that store now serves the metro.
More Lincoln locations followed on the south and east sides of town. Each one carries the same core idea, though the flagship keeps a few perks of its own.
The campus also hosts Casa Bovina, an Italian-inspired steakhouse serving the same beef. Few butcher shops can point across the lot to their own restaurant.
Why Piedmontese Beef Has Italian Roots And Nebraska Pastures
Piedmontese cattle trace back to the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Somehow that heritage breed ended up thriving on the wide-open plains of Nebraska.
That pairing is the heart of everything sold at The Mercato – Certified Piedmontese. The company describes its beef as all-natural.
It’s also raised without added hormones or antibiotics. For shoppers who read labels closely, that’s a big deal.
The counter carries options too. Shoppers can find both grass-fed and grain-fed Piedmontese beef, depending on how they like their steak.
Here’s a cooking tip straight from the company itself. It recommends pulling beef at about 125 degrees, then resting it five to ten minutes.
That rest lets the internal temperature climb to around 130 to 135 degrees. The goal is a juicy, tender result, and overcooking works against this beef.
Nebraska already knows its way around cattle better than almost anywhere. Still, an Italian breed carving out a home on these plains adds a fun twist to a familiar ranching story.
It also gives Lincoln grills a reason to show off. Ask the folks behind the counter which cut suits your plans.
Hand-Cut Steaks That Make Grill Season Feel Overdue
Ribeye, filet mignon and New York strip all share space in the case. Toss in sirloin, short ribs and chuck roast, and the planning gets complicated fast.
Every cut is fresh and hand-cut. That’s the butcher shop promise, and it shows in how wide the selection runs.
Tomahawk ribeyes are part of the lineup, and they’re famously large. Those long-boned steaks make a backyard cookout feel like an event.
Not everything has to be a showpiece, though. Ground sirloin, roasts and stew meat cover the everyday dinners that actually fill a week.
Less common cuts appear too. Denver steaks and brisket tips give curious cooks something new to try beyond the usual favorites.
The staff knows the cuts well and happily explains them. That’s handy when a recipe calls for something you’ve never bought before.
Beef isn’t the only protein here either. Chicken, pork chorizo, bacon, kielbasa and other sausages round out the meat counter.
There’s even a fish selection for the seafood crowd. One stop can cover a whole week of dinners, which feels like a small victory on a busy Saturday.
Ground Kangaroo And Ostrich In The Freezer Case
Kangaroo is not a word most Nebraskans expect to see in a meat freezer. Yet ground kangaroo has appeared at The Mercato – Certified Piedmontese, right alongside ground ostrich.
That’s a long way from Australia and the African savanna. It also explains why this market keeps coming up when people talk about unusual groceries in Lincoln.
The store describes its mission as stocking other quality meats and unique ingredients. The idea is to match the uniqueness of its own beef.
Exotic options fit that idea perfectly. They give adventurous home cooks a chance to try something new without hunting all over Nebraska.
A fair heads-up belongs here. Specialty freezer items can rotate, so it’s smart to check what’s on hand before driving across town for kangaroo tacos.
Ground meats like these work well in familiar recipes. Burgers, meatballs and chili are easy starting points for a first try.
I can’t imagine a better conversation starter at a family cookout. Someone will absolutely ask what’s in the burger, and the answer will not be boring.
Bragging rights are a valid reason to shop, right?
Focaccia From A Bakery Hiding In Plain Sight
Fresh focaccia at a butcher shop sounds like a lucky bonus. At this market, it comes from a real in-house bakery called Dolceria Bakery.
Dolceria’s main kitchen sits at the north Lincoln flagship. Orders can be picked up at any Mercato location, which helps anyone on the other side of town.
The focaccia is one of the most talked-about items in the store. Loaves are large, so plan on sharing or making a few days of sandwiches.
Other freshly made bread fills out the bakery shelves. It’s a natural partner for everything sitting in the meat case.
Picture the practical math for a moment. Steak, bread and cheese can all come home in one bag, and dinner is mostly solved.
Sweet treats also land in the bakery orbit. Dolceria’s name hints at that, since dolce means sweet in Italian.
For Nebraskans who usually grab bread in a plastic sleeve, this is a pleasant upgrade. It turns a basic grocery stop into something closer to an Italian market run.
Leftover focaccia makes fantastic toast, by the way. Assuming any survives the drive home.
A Pantry Built For Charcuterie Boards And Lazy Pasta Nights
House-made pasta and sauces line the shelves, ready for a fast weeknight dinner. Pair them with ground sirloin and you’ve got a sauce that tastes like a Sunday project.
Cheese gets plenty of room in the store. Crackers sit close by, which makes snack planning almost too easy.
Salami and a spicy pepperoni from a local business add more options. Pickles, jerky and sardines show up in the mix too.
Fresh mushrooms appear among the gourmet goods. So do espresso beans, which feels like a thoughtful extra for a morning after a big steak dinner.
Hosting a dinner party? This lineup covers a lot of ground for a charcuterie board without bouncing between three different stores.
The market also focuses on locally sourced ingredients and sustainable proteins. That gives the pantry a Nebraska flavor, even with its Italian accent.
Ready-made meals are another handy option. Panini have been part of the counter too, which helps on a hungry lunch break.
I like how the pantry treats the steak as the start of a meal, not the whole plan. Everything else on the plate has a home here.
Gelato Flavors Worth Saving Room For
Pistachio gelato and burnt sugar vanilla bean are two flavors that have graced the case. Neither sounds like something you’d expect beside a rack of short ribs.
Yet here they are at The Mercato – Certified Piedmontese. The flagship offers scooped ice cream and gelato, giving a steak errand a sweet finish.
The flavor list leans fun and rich. Several options rotate through, so repeat visits may bring something new.
One detail matters for planning. The south Lincoln store is known not to serve scoops, so the north Lincoln flagship is the place for a cup.
Families get a nice built-in reward here. Kids can tolerate a butcher counter conversation much better with a gelato in sight.
It’s also an easy excuse to stop by on a warm Nebraska afternoon. Not every grocery trip needs to be about groceries.
Pistachio fans will feel especially seen. It’s a flavor that doesn’t always appear in ordinary Lincoln freezer aisles.
Burnt sugar vanilla bean, meanwhile, sounds like dessert with a little attitude. Good luck choosing just one on the first visit.
Marrow Bones For The Dogs And Perks For The Regulars
Dogs get a shopping list here too. Raw bones for pets are a well-known part of the store, and there are several options to choose from.
Some bones come split lengthwise to expose the marrow. That’s a thoughtful touch that most pups would call fantastic, if they could talk.
Pet owners in Lincoln tend to love a reliable bone source. This counter makes the trip worthwhile for the four-legged family members.
Humans have their own perks waiting. The Mercato runs a rewards program for repeat shoppers that adds up over time.
Weekly specials rotate through the store as well. It’s worth checking them before planning the week’s dinners.
The store sits a short hop from a Walmart on the north side. That makes it easy to fold a butcher stop into a regular errand loop.
Friendly service runs through this whole place. The staff answers questions about cuts, cooking and even the company’s cattle.
Out-of-state travelers have found it too. The market is linked with Harvest Hosts, a program for RV travelers, which brings in road-trippers from far beyond Nebraska.
Getting There, Parking And When The Doors Open
North Lincoln is the destination for the flagship store. You’ll find it at 4841 N 84th St, Lincoln, NE 68507.
Parking is simple, thanks to a large lot. It’s free, which always earns a small cheer.
The shop opens every day of the week. It opens mid-morning most days, and a little earlier on Fridays and Saturdays.
Closing comes in the early evening across the week. That leaves room for an after-work stop before dinner.
Saturday mornings work well for weekend grilling plans. Arriving earlier gives you the best shot at popular cuts.
Not near the north side? Other Mercato stores serve south Lincoln, east Lincoln and West Omaha.
Each location carries the Certified Piedmontese focus. The flagship, however, has the bakery kitchen and the gelato scoops.
Bakery orders from Dolceria can still be picked up at any location. That’s a nice fix for anyone living across town.
Mail order is available for shoppers outside the area. Ordering well ahead of special dates is wise, since shipping timelines can vary.
Casa Bovina shares the same campus. A shopping trip and a steakhouse dinner can happen in one outing.
A Stop That Rewrites The Lincoln Grocery Run
Few Nebraska shops can sell you an Italian heritage steak, a giant focaccia and ground kangaroo in one trip. The Mercato – Certified Piedmontese pulls it off with surprising ease.
It works best for cooks who enjoy a little adventure. It also suits anyone who wants a steak dinner done right for a birthday or a slow Sunday.
Families will appreciate the gelato bribe. Dog owners will appreciate the bones, and their dogs will appreciate them even more.
Prices sit above a typical supermarket meat case, as you’d expect for this kind of beef. The rewards program and weekly specials help soften that for regulars.
I believe the real charm is the story behind the counter. A Nebraska cattle company built a market on its own campus and invited the neighbors in.
That’s a very Nebraska kind of pride, with an Italian accent. It turns a routine errand into something worth telling friends about.
So the next time the grocery list feels a bit tired, north Lincoln has an answer. Just leave some room in the cart for focaccia, and maybe a pack of kangaroo.
