Since the first cave man discovered brontosaurus flesh tasted better after he dropped it in the fire, the carnivores among us have been on the hunt for the best meat we can lay our hands on.

Other than big-box grocers and high-end food chains, Cobb residents have had very little in the way of honest-to-goodness butcher shops to satisfy their cravings.

Donald Bailey and his family are out to change that. Three months ago, Bailey opened Vinings Butcher and Deli in Vinings Village.

First things first, however. The big question is why shop at a butcher’s instead of a supermarket?

In a word, quality.

Beef comes in three USDA grades, and the top two – prime and choice – are the ones most customers want. That’s because beef’s flavor comes from its fat distribution, commonly called marbling.

Prime grade has the most marbling, and when cooked properly, the fat melts into the flesh, giving it the most flavor and tenderness. Its price tag is highest because less than 3 percent of beef graded is prime. Choice grade includes three subcategories of marbling, from small amounts to moderate. Moderately marbled USDA choice is just a step or two short of prime and is generally found only in restaurants and top-flight meat markets.

Bailey carries 1855 brand Certified Black Angus beef, which is in the upper two-thirds of the choice grade, aged a minimum of 14 days and hand-selected for ideal marbling.

But the shop buys only from 1855’s top third. “It’s going to be that notch just below prime,” said Nick King, one of the family’s sons. “It’s all Midwestern grain fed, which means consistency in tenderness and flavor.”

The shop is also carrying some prime cuts, mostly steaks, which are expected to be in high demand during grilling season.

Pork and lamb is from Niman Ranch, a ranching co-op that raises animals with sustainable practices and vegetarian feed, without antibiotics or hormones. The all-natural chicken is from North Carolina’s Tanglewood Farms and is humanely grown in a low-stress environment.

The Vinings staff cuts all its meat in house with skills acquired from yet another family member. “Our uncle was a butcher for 18 years and he taught us all we know,” said another son, Brian Bailey.

The shop is much more than just fresh meat, however. There are sausages from Patak’s, a highly respected maker of cured and smoked meats in Austell.

“In deciding which sausages I was going to carry, I tried many, many different products, but Patak’s has the best sausage I’ve ever eaten,” Don said.

Deli selections are from Dietz and Watson, a 70-year-old Philadelphia company that offers gourmet-level meats and cheeses that are naturally low sodium and contain no MSG.

There is a sandwich menu and a “brown bag special,” which includes a small side, chips, sandwich and cookie. Breads are from Smyrna’s Grateful Bread Company.

The side items are made by Brian, who’s had culinary training, and his mom Henrietta, “a great cook,” Don said. Among the items offered on a recent weekday were cole slaw with Granny Smith apples, three cheese mac ‘n’ cheese, Southern pimiento cheese, homestyle potato salad and a hearty, beefy chili.

Bryan’s wife, Dawn, bakes most of the sweet treats for the shop, and there are always at least three different cookies on hand.

Vinings Butcher and Deli also sells terrific lemon, Key lime and mango pies from Kenny’s Great Pies, also in Smyrna.

“We were their first retail outlet,” Don said of Kenny’s. “We are really trying to use only local and regional vendors.”

All of the family are Cobb residents: Nick lives in Acworth, Brian in Kennesaw, youngest son Ash, who helps out on weekends, is from Powder Springs, and Don and Henrietta live just up the street in Vinings.

The chief financial officer for a medical imaging company, Don is looking ahead to retirement, when he can devote himself to the butcher shop full time. Right now he and his wife, the practice administrator for a large medical group, both work at the store part time.

“Our prices are comparable to places like Fresh Market or Whole Foods, but with personalized ser-vice,” Don said.